In Love's Shadow
by FallenAngel333
Summary: (formerly One Year Later) set a year after AOTC, Padme's nieces (Ryoo & Pooja) are kidnapped, Ani/Ami romance and some Obi/Sabe romance in later chapters!
1. Default Chapter

A/N- Hey y'all. This is my first Star Wars story. If you like it, I'll write more, so give me feedback! Sorry its so short!  
  
It was a year after their wedding, and Padmé Skywalker was still working as a senator. She hadn't seen her beloved Anakin in almost two months now, and she missed him very much. He was coming in on a mission to Naboo in a few days, and Padmé was anxious to see him.  
  
Padmé was in her office, thinking about him. Sitting on her desk were mounds of holodisks, all containing important information on how to minimize this clone war, which had started one year ago. Next to Anakin, that was the most important thing in her life right now. She, along with many of her colleagues, did not want the war to last long. She reluctantly left her daydreams and returned to her work.  
  
*****  
  
Anakin was in the Jedi Temple, waiting to find out what his next mission would be. He knew he was going to Naboo, but the details had not yet been revealed to him. He couldn't wait to see the love of his life again. It had been far too long since their last meeting. Two months ago to date, he thought. Mace Windu appeared in the entrance to the hall in which they were meeting. Unlike his last mission, this one was to be assigned in a secluded hallway. Most missions were assigned in front of the Jedi Council.  
  
"Good Afternoon young Skywalker."  
  
"Hello, Master Windu. Where is this next mission taking me?"  
  
"You are to go protect Senator Amidala, of the Naboo. There have been recent threats on her life again."  
  
Anakin tried to hide his feelings for his wife. "Any idea who is behind these threats?"  
  
"We have no evidence leading to any particular person yet. We will meditate on this while you are away. You must leave immediately, as the Senator is in danger right now. May the force be with you." With that, he turned and left the hallway. Anakin walked the other way and went to get on the starship that would take him to Naboo. 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N - another short chapter. YAY! I don't own any of the characters; they are all a figment of George Lucas's imagination. Haha. Here's chapter 2.  
  
Padmé anxiously awaited the arrival of the Jedi starship carrying her husband. Oh, how she missed him! They had chatted through holograms secretly, but it was dangerous, because if any one found out.Padmé didn't want to think of the consequences. They had kept their marriage a secret for a year now and she didn't want Anakin expelled from the Jedi Order. It was hard keeping a secret like that to herself so, with Anakin's consent, she told her sister, Sola, her mother, Jobal, and her father, Ruwee. Eventually, her nieces Ryoo and Pooja would know, but they were too young to be trusted with a secret like this.  
  
*****  
  
"Captain," Anakin said, "how much longer until we land?"  
  
"Another hour or so," came the depressing reply.  
  
An hour?! Anakin thought. He wanted to be in Naboo now, standing beside his beloved Padmé, watching the ripples in the water from the porch on which they were married one year ago. Anakin sat down in a big comfy chair and drifted off to sleep. He dreamed about Padmé playing with her nieces in her parents yard. And suddenly, they were gone. Padmé was left standing there with out a clue as to where they went. She looked worried and began to search for them. "Anakin!" she screamed. "Where are they?"  
  
"Master Anakin, please wake up!" Anakin stirred a bit. He opened his eyes, just a bit. It was C3PO, the droid he had built as a little boy. "Master Annie, the captain says we will be there shortly. He presumes it will take five more minutes.  
  
"Thanks, Threepio," Anakin replied, and he jumped up to go get ready.  
  
Five minutes later, he could see the green planet of Naboo through the window. As they neared the docking bridge, he could see Padmé standing there, looking toward the sky.  
  
*****  
  
Padmé's heart nearly skipped a beat when she finally saw the starship. She even thought she saw Anakin peeking out through the window. The ship came to a slow stop and landed gently on the platform. The ramp had barely began to lower when she saw Anakin run down and jump off towards her, using the force to extend his jump. He landed about fifteen feet away from her and ran the rest of the way. When he got to her, he embraced her in a tight hug, grabbed his bag and said "Let's get outta her." They walked off toward the palace, with Threepio trailing behind, chatting with Artoo.  
  
Once in her office, Padmé grabbed a few things, including holodisks and paperwork, shoved them into her bag and headed out to the spot where Paddy Accu had parked the water speeder that would take them home. 


	3. Chapter 3

The water speeder, driven by Paddy Accu, bounced along the top of the water, creating little misty sprays every so often. When they arrived at the house, Anakin and Padmé grabbed their bags, went directly to their room, got changed and went to the dining room. Once they were seated, Nandi and Teckla, Padmé's servants, each placed a plate with some kind of meat on it, in front of both of them.  
  
"This looks great," Anakin said. He missed these kinds of special dinners. At the Jedi temple, he cooked for himself. He picked up his fork and began to eat.  
  
"Yes, it does," Padmé said, "but none of your Jedi tricks this time. I don't want any floating food." She laughed a bit and Anakin did, too. Anakin looked a little disappointed though. He had done this almost every time they'd eaten together. After saying this, Padmé began to eat, too. During dinner and dessert, they talked about the clone war and other issues in the Senate.  
  
After dessert, they retreated to a fire-lit room. Anakin began to tell Padmé about his latest assignment.  
  
"Padmé, my love, did you know that there are assassination threats on your life again?"  
  
"I heard there were a few, but I'm not sure why," Padmé told him truthfully.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" he said as he walked over and sat next to her on their silky blue couch. "I found out when Master Windu assigned me to be your um." he hesitated, knowing Padmé would not like what he was about to say. "Your bodyguard, your protector," he finished.  
  
"I don't need all this protection!" Padmé told him angrily. "I'm not in any danger!"  
  
"That's what you said last time, and someone tried to kill you more than once!! I already lost my mother, and I can't afford to lose you now, too!" He brushed his lips gently against hers. "I love you."  
  
"I love you, too," Padmé replied, and Anakin kissed her again, a little harder this time.  
  
"Annie," Padmé said, breaking the kiss. "I forgot to ask you, is it alright if we visit my family tomorrow? Sola and her daughters, Ryoo and Pooja, will be there and I haven't seen them for awhile."  
  
"Yes, dear, that's fine. I had a dream about you and those two little rascals today, while I was on the ship. It was kind of.strange."  
  
"Do you want to tell me about it?"  
  
"Yes. You were playing with your nieces in the backyard of your parents house and they vanished suddenly." He looked at Padmé. "You were left standing there, by yourself. You looked worried and began to search for them. When you couldn't find them, you frantically yelled to me 'Anakin, where are they?' I tried to tell you I didn't know, but you couldn't hear me." Anakin stopped, a sudden feeling coming over him. "I think something is going to happen, I'm just not sure what."  
  
Padmé sat in total silence, with Anakin's arm draped around her. Her head, which had been resting on his shoulder, was now up. Anakin could tell she was thinking about her nieces from the worried look in her eyes. "I hope nothing happened to them," she finally said.  
  
"I'm sure they're fine. I can feel it," Anakin told her.  
  
They sat by the fire a little while longer, thinking about and discussing Anakin's dream.  
  
"It's getting late," Padmé said. "We should go to bed, since we have to get up early tomorrow." 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N-My longest chapter yet! Wahoo! Hope ya like it, enjoy, and give me feedback!  
  
Padmé woke up late that morning. She got dressed and woke Anakin. They had a quick breakfast and rushed out to see Padmé's family.  
  
Paddy Accu was there, waiting for them with the water speeder. The motor was already running, so they jumped in and took off towards Padmé old home.  
  
By the time they arrived at Ruwee and Jobal's house, it was late afternoon. Ryoo and Pooja were playing on the front porch. Pooja looked up at the sound of Padmé and Anakin's footsteps.  
  
"Aunt Padmé!" the little tyke screamed. Ryoo looked, surprised by her younger sister's sudden scream of excitement. She saw Padmé also.  
  
"Hi Aunt Padmé!" Ryoo yelled and ran after her sister towards there aunt. Padmé bent down to hug the two girls.  
  
"Hi Anakin," Ryoo said, sheepishly. The girls were now accustomed to Anakin's semi-frequent visits with their aunt. Still, Ryoo spoke to Anakin as if she were just meeting him, and Sola believed that Ryoo had developed a small crush on the handsome man.  
  
"Hi Ryoo. How are you?" he asked.  
  
"Good," was the reply.  
  
"Did you bring us presents again?" Pooja suddenly said.  
  
"Pooja!" Padmé said, trying to shush the child.  
  
"It's ok. Actually, I did bring you girls something." Anakin raised his eyebrow. "What do ya think, Aunt Padmé, should I give it to them now or later?" Anakin teased.  
  
"Now! Now!" the girls yelled in unison.  
  
"I don't know, how about later, say, after dinner?" Padmé said, catching his drift.  
  
"NO! Now!" Ryoo yelled, louder than before.  
  
"Well, I guess I could. no, I think I'll wait," Anakin said, still teasing them.  
  
"Please?" Ryoo screamed.  
  
"Yeah, please?" Pooja said sweetly.  
  
"Since you asked so nicely, I guess I can give the presents to you now." Anakin pulled out two neatly wrapped packages and handed one to each girl. They quickly opened them. "They are necklaces from my last mission to Malastare," Anakin tried to explain, but the Ryoo and Pooja already had their necklace around their neck and were now admiring each others.  
  
"Girls, what do you say to Anakin?" Padmé said, reminding them of their manners.  
  
"Thank you," Ryoo and Pooja said at the same time. They ran off to show their new treasure to their mom. Anakin and Padmé followed Ryoo and Pooja into the house. Artoo slowly wheeled himself towards the house and then around back, where it was easier for him to get into the house, for there were no steps out back.  
  
"Padmé! You made it!" Jobal, Padmé's mother exclaimed. "Hi Anakin, how are you doing?"  
  
"Fine thanks, you?"  
  
"I'm doing quite well," she said as she walked over and kissed both her daughter and son-in-law on the cheek. Sola and Ruwee walked in from the garden.  
  
"Hi, Sola! How are you? I haven't seen you for awhile!" Padmé said excitedly, at the site of her sister. They hugged and Ruwee began to speak.  
  
"Anakin - You taking good care of my daughter?" he asked, teasingly.  
  
"Daddy!" Padmé exclaimed. She walked over and gave her dad a kiss on the cheek. They all gathered into the garden and conversed about Anakin's journeys, Padmé's work in the Senate, Sola and her kids, and they watched Ryoo and Pooja jump all over poor Artoo. Sola and Jobal had left halfway through there conversations to prepare dinner. Padmé had gotten up to help, also, but Sola and Jobal insisted that she stayed with Anakin, because they were short on time together. So, she went back to the garden and sat in between her father and her husband.  
  
Once her father left to go wash up for dinner, Padmé began to speak to Anakin. "Would it be alright if we stayed overnight here?" I haven't seen my mother and sister for quite awhile and she's been worried about me."  
  
"I don't mind at all. We can stay as long as you'd like."  
  
"Thank you, honey," she said. She leaned over and kissed him gently. "Let's go eat, everyone's waiting."  
  
They walked into the extravagantly decorated dining room hand-in-hand, and sure enough, everyone was waiting for them. The food was already on the table and everyone was seated.  
  
"We thought you'd never come in to eat!" Sola said, jokingly. Padmé and Anakin sat down and everyone began to eat.  
  
"Mom, is it alright if Anakin and I stay here tonight?"  
  
Her mother looked kind of surprised by the question. "Sure, if you'd like. Is something wrong at home?"  
  
"No," Padmé replied. "I just miss you, that's all."  
  
The rest of dinner was pretty quiet, except for the occasional "Mmmmm, this is good."  
  
After dinner, Padmé, Sola and Jobal cleaned up, while Anakin and Ruwee talked again in the garden.  
  
"So, my son, do you know what you're next mission will be?"  
  
"Yes, sir. I'm actually here to protect your daughter. There have been threats against her life again," Anakin told him. He saw a look of alarm on Ruwee's face. "It's not too bad, just a few threats. NO one has attempted to kill her."  
  
"Yet," Ruwee said and he sighed. They didn't talk for awhile, they just sat there on a bench. After what seemed like forever, Padmé came in and kissed Anakin on the cheek. She sat next to him and he put his arm around her. Ruwee got up and left, wanting to leave the young couple alone. After Ruwee left, Anakin place a gentle kiss upon Padmé's lips. Padmé deepened the kiss. A quiet voice from behind made her stop kissing Anakin.  
  
"Are you guys gonna get married?" It was Pooja, the youngest of Padmé's two nieces.  
  
"Maybe someday," Padmé told her, and Anakin nodded slightly in agreement, for they did not want to tell the youngster of their secret. Not just yet, anyway.  
  
"Pooja!" Sola yelled as she came into the garden entrance. "I told you to go ask Grandmom for a washcloth. What are you doing in the garden?"  
  
"Sorry, mommy, really I am," Pooja said, trying to sweet-talk her way out of punishment.  
  
Sola sighed. "It's alright. Now go and get the washcloth," Sola told her daughter sternly. She waited for Pooja to leave. "Sorry guys. The girl has to investigate everything." She sighed again and left.  
  
"We should go to bed anyway," Anakin said.  
  
Padmé yawned a bit and agreed. They left the garden and headed to Padmé's old bedroom.  
  
A/N-Don't forget to review! ~*~*~Jessika~*~*~ 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N-short chapter, hope you liked chapter 4. Here's 5! YAY!  
  
Anakin's blue eyes flicked open suddenly. It was still dark out. Padmé's head was resting on his chest, and his arm was under her neck. Anakin thought he heard something, but was not sure what. For a few minutes, there was an awkward silence.  
  
A silence that seemed to last forever and was only broken by the barely audible footsteps in the hall. Anakin thought, at first, that it was just one of the girls, judging by the softness of the footsteps. His attuned senses told him otherwise, and so did the shadow.  
  
The shadow started out as an elongated figure, cast upon Padmé's and his door. It slowly shrunk as the thought-to-be intruder neared their room. It stopped and Anakin heard a door creak open, and a few moments later, creak closed. The person is looking for something.or someone! Anakin thought. The shadow began to shrink again, indicating to him that the person was walking. Anakin tapped into the force, using it to sense danger. He felt something. It started in the very bottom of his gut and swelled up until he couldn't bear it anymore. He concentrated hard, and to himself, he began to count.  
  
One, two three.the figure was creeping slowly through their doorway and into there room. It paused. Four, five, six, seven.the intruder pulled a blaster pistol from its sleek, black, leather holster. Eight, nine, ten.CRACK! Anakin jumped up, his light saber humming to life as he deflected the bullet and re-aimed it towards the person. It hit the un- expecting figure and the figure fell to the ground. Anakin ran over to see would-have-been assassin was.  
  
He crouched over the crumpled figure, which was now screaming in pain. "He's a bounty hunter, I think," Anakin told Padmé, who was now sitting up, wide awake and breathing heavily.  
  
If Anakin hadn't been here with me, I'd be dead right now. My family might not have survived either! Padmé realized suddenly. Ruwee and Jobal ran into the room with all kinds of questions, followed by Sola and her daughters.  
  
"What happened?!" Jobal demanded, but was still not answered. Anakin was too busy with the bounty hunter to answer and Padmé was still in shock. Sola ran over and hugged her baby sister.  
  
"Who are you?" Anakin asked the bounty hunter firmly.  
  
"Why?" the bounty hunter asked as he winced in obvious discomfort.  
  
"TELL ME!" Anakin demanded.  
  
"Tip Willis," the bounty hunter replied, coming to his senses. After all, if there was any chance of him living, he did not want to ruin that chance by fighting with a Jedi.  
  
"Who are you working for?"  
  
"Why does it matter, Jedi? There will be more of them coming to kill her." He looked past Anakin and at the dazed Senator. Tip drew in his last breath and was then perfectly still.  
  
"I'll summon the Jedi council in the morning," Anakin said. Jobal again demanded to know what had happened. "This bounty hunter snuck in, and tried to kill Padmé," he looked towards his wife lovingly. "I will explain the rest in the morning," he said, looking towards the children. He did not want to scare them at such a late hour. With this everyone left, and Anakin shut the bedroom door. He laid back down next to his wife, kissed her goodnight, and in awhile, they both fell asleep.  
  
A/N- This chapter was supposed to be so much shorter than it is now. I actually wrote this down on paper, but kept adding things to it while typing, lol. Please review! 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N- Hey y'all here's chapter 6. This is the first time Obi-Wan comes into the story!! OK- so I don't get sued, George Lucas owns all the characters, except for Tip Willis & the Analex droid (I don't think that's in this chapter, but oh wells! That's in the next chapter!) I also made up the animal-Julupean-which is kinda like a chicken.  
  
~*~*~Jessika~*~*~  
  
Obi-Wan Kenobi's communicator beeped. He pulled it out of his pocket and pushed the blinking button. A familiar voice came through the speaker.  
  
"Hello, Master," Anakin said.  
  
"Hello, my young Padawan," Obi-Wan said recognizing the voice at once. "What's happening in Naboo?" he asked.  
  
"A bounty hunter, supposedly called Tip Willis, attempted to kill the senator last night. I was hoping you could discuss the event with the Council and also see if there is any information on this hunter in the archives."  
  
"I will speak with Master Yoda and hopefully set-up a meeting where you could tell them all of the details through a hologram. Where is this bounty hunter now?" Obi-Wan asked.  
  
"He's.uh.dead," Anakin said. "I deflected the bullet of his blaster pistol, and was trying to hit his arm, but I accidentally hit his chest instead. Obviously, my aim needs a little work," he said, adding a little laugh at the end, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"Do you know how hired him?"  
  
"No, he wouldn't tell me. He said something about more of them coming after Pad-, Senator Amidala," he said, realizing that he couldn't call Padmé by her first name to his master. He might begin to suspect something.  
  
"Where are you now?" Obi-Wan asked, and had made this a habit after that time he'd ended up on Tatooine with the Senator.  
  
"We're at Senator Amidala's parent's house," he told Obi-Wan, knowing that he would not be happy about them moving all over Naboo with out his consent.  
  
"What in heaven's name are you doing there?! I thought I told you to stay at the Palace or the house at which you stayed last time you protected her!!!" Obi-Wan yelled.  
  
"She needed to visit them master," Anakin told him bluntly.  
  
"Well, at least you stayed on Naboo this time," Obi-Wan retorted. He calmed in a few seconds, and said, "I'll talk with the Council and get back to you Anakin. Be wary, I sense a disturbance in the force."  
  
"I feel it, also, Master."  
  
"May the force be with you." Obi-Wan shutoff his communicator.. "I hope he doesn't do anything stupid," he muttered to himself and he turned to walk down the long white hallway to speak with Master Yoda.  
  
*****  
  
Anakin heard a click, which meant Obi-Wan had shut off his communicator before he had a chance to tell him that he hoped the force would be with him, too. He shut of his communicator and turned to go into the house. He went through the kitchen and into the dining room. The smell of Julupean eggs and bacon just about knocked him off his feet. He walked over and sat next to Padmé. He planned on explaining the events of the prior night after breakfast. He didn't want to scare Padmé's nieces, and that was the main reason as to why he didn't explain the happenings right then and there. Anakin hoped that they would leave tonight and go.somewhere. Not home, that was an obvious move and her attackers would surely find her.  
  
As if she had been reading her thoughts, Padmé leaned over and whispered, "Annie, we're staying here tonight."  
  
"Ok, but.never mind," he replied, not wishing to bring up the subject of bounty hunters just yet. Breakfast was a lot quieter for the adults than the preceding night's dinner, but the Ryoo and Pooja made sure there was no silence. They chatted about their dolls and laughed, which made everyone else feel a little more at ease. Anakin could sense everyone's fear, though and knew that today would not be all the pleasant, and everyone would be on edge.  
  
After breakfast, Padmé helped Jobal clean up, while Sola took her children out to play in the backyard. Anakin went to the bathroom to freshen-up a bit and Ruwee headed to the backyard to watch his grandchildren play.  
  
Back in the kitchen, Padmé and her mother were having a not so delightful conversation.  
  
"I'm worried about you," Jobal started.  
  
"There's nothing to worry about, mother," Padmé replied sharply.  
  
"Padmé! You don't even realize the kind of danger you're in, do you?"  
  
Padmé sighed in resignation. "You're right, mom, but Anakin will protect me. He's done it before.  
  
"I know, but, I.I just don't want to lose you."  
  
Padmé remembered how Anakin had said these same words to her a few nights before. She replayed these words, both her mother's and her husband's, in her head. I don't want to lose you. Tears welled in her eyes and began to trickle down her cheeks.  
  
"Oh, Padmé, please don't cry," Jobal said sincerely, tears in her own eyes. She walked over and gave her daughter a comforting hug.  
  
"I'm sorry, mom. I just.I don't want to put any of you in danger. If Anakin hadn't been here last night." she trailed off. "You could've all been killed. I'd never be able to forgive myself if that happened."  
  
Jobal let out a little laugh. "Honey, how could you have forgiven yourself?" Padmé looked puzzled by her mom's words. "You'd have been killed, too." The joke was much needed at the time.  
  
Padmé laughed a little bit, then sighed. She was grateful that Anakin had been there.  
  
After all the dishes had been cleaned a put away, and the table was wiped off, Jobal and her daughter joined their husbands in the yard. Anakin sensed Padmé's presence and looked up before she had come into the doorway that led to the yard. He smiled when she walked through the door. She's so beautiful, he thought to himself. Padmé walked over to the cushioned bench on which her husband sat. She sat down next to Anakin, who, before she was able to completely sit, pulled her onto his lap. She let out a playfully little laugh and gave him a quick kiss.  
  
It was Ruwee who brought up last night's unforgettable events. "Tell us what happened last night, son." Anakin liked it when Ruwee called him 'son.' He felt like he belonged somewhere and more importantly he felt like he belonged to a family again.  
  
"Alright, now's as good a time as ever," Anakin replied. "I sensed something, which jerked me suddenly from sleep. I heard soft footsteps in the hall, and expected to see either Ryoo or Pooja walked past the doorway, on their way back from the bathroom. But then there was a large shadow cast upon our open door-" he stopped to make sure Ryoo and Pooja weren't secretly listening, for he knew that this story would scare them, "-and it shrunk a little, so I knew he was moving closer. I heard a door creak, and I assume he was going into the bathroom, being that that is the only room past Padmé's and mine. He shut the door and continued down the hallway. I closed my eyes and used the force to sense where he was and what he was doing. I slowly counted to ten and at ten her fired, and I deflected the bullet back at him. I meant to just hit him on the arm, so I could question him, but I hit him on the chest and I knew he was dying. That is why I did not answer you questions last not, mom," Anakin told them. He had been told by Jobal to call Padmé's mother mom, but it was still weird for him, knowing that his real mother was dead. He did take comfort in calling her mom, though, and it seemed to fill an emptiness in his heart.  
  
Jobal turned to everyone and said, "Anakin saved all our lives last night." She turned back towards Anakin. "Thank you."  
  
Anakin blushed. He didn't know what to say, so he half-mumbled "You're welcome," to her.  
  
"What happened next?" Ruwee said, anxious to know every little detail.  
  
"Well.uh.you two came in followed by Sola and her kids. I questioned the fallen figure and it turns out he was a bounty hunter supposedly named Tip Willis."  
  
"Supposedly?" Jobal broke in.  
  
"Yes, my master is checking the archives at the library in Coruscant for anyone by that name. For all we know, he could have made the name up spur of the moment, or it could be a code name."  
  
"Oh," Jobal said and let out a long sigh. It was quite obvious that both Ruwee and Jobal were as concerned as Anakin for Padmé's safety.  
  
"Tonight we should probably take turns staying up to watch for uninvited guests," Anakin told them. "Padmé and I can take the first shift. This way, we can be safe and get some sleep."  
  
"I don't think it will be likely for them to come two nights in a row. How about we just program R2 to sound an alarm if he sees anything suspicious. I don't want to worry Sola, Ryoo, and Pooja. We can leave R2 in the living room, where he'd be able to see almost every room our one-story house.  
  
"How did this intruder get into the house?" Padmé asked, realizing everyone had overlooked this important detail.  
  
"Good question. Why don't you and I go have a look?" Anakin replied. They left the yard, with Padmé leading the way into the house.  
  
A/N-Chapter 7 is coming soon! It's already written, now I just have to type it up! Let me know what you think of chapter 6! Thanks for reading! 


	7. Chapter 7

A/N-This chapter starts up right were chapter 6 stopped. I changed the rating to PG13 because of some stuff in the next chapter, its not much, but I figured better safe then sorry. Oh and I happened to come across the Episode 2 script while searching the Internet. If you're as obsessed with SW as me, e-mail me & I'll send you the link to the site!!! (My email is JediJessika@fanforce.net)  
  
CHAPTER 7  
  
Padmé and Anakin walked into the house. They checked the front door to see if there was any evidence of a break-in, but the door was still locked as no one had used it that morning.  
  
"I guess no one came in that way," Padmé said. They walked through the living room, checking every window as they went. They headed to the hallway were the bedrooms were located. They checked all these windows also, but there was no apparent sign of forced entry. There were now only two windows they hadn't checked yet, and one of them had to be the way the intruder came in. The couple came out of their bedroom and went into the bathroom, the last room before the end of the hallway. This window was too small for anyone to fit through. Anakin led the way out of the bathroom and towards the end of the hall. Padmé examined the window and reported that this window looked as if it hadn't been touched last night.  
  
As they were about to turn around, Anakin noticed a certain spot on the window that when the sun hit it at a certain angle, it gleamed and shimmered more than the rest of the window. "Wait," he commanded. Padmé stopped walking and turned around to see what he was doing. "Look," Anakin said, as he pointed out a tiny one-inch long slit in the glass. Padmé looked hard and, after a few moments, saw the cut, too.  
  
"Annie, no one could have gotten through that," she teased.  
  
"You're right," he told her. "But, they could have gotten through this."  
  
"What are you talking about?" she said. Anakin placed his finger about an inch above the frame and moved it from the bottom right corner, to the top, then to the top left, then down to the bottom left, and back to the bottom right. "What are you doing?" Padmé asked, curiosity in her voice.  
  
"Look closer." Padmé took a few steps closer. Her nose was practically touching the glass. "Do you see it?" Anakin asked.  
  
"No, what am I looking for?"  
  
"There is a slit tinier than the other one. It's barely visible to the naked eye, and its created by a small flying droid, called an Analex droid." He traced the slit again so his wife could see it.  
  
"Ohhh, I think I see it now," she told him.  
  
"An Analex droid is used to cut glass and some metal objects. It put the glass piece it cut out back against the rest of the window and seals it back together once the job is done. In this case, once Tip Willis was in the house. It looks like it didn't have the chance to finish the sealing. The droids are practically silent while working, because they have a sort of.vacuum, which sucks the normally loud sounds it makes right out of the air."  
  
Padmé continued to gaze at the tiny line in the glass. "That's how he got in!" she said excitedly.  
  
"Yeah," Anakin replied. "That's one mystery solved. Now to find who he was working for and what their motive was.  
  
Anakin stood there for a moment, his thoughts dwelling on the previous nights happenings. Padmé walked over and hugged him, trying to reassure him that she was not in much danger at all. At least not with Anakin around, she thought. He'll protect me. They walked back to the yard where Jobal and Ruwee still sat to tell them of their most recent discoveries.  
  
They were shocked and amazed.  
  
"Why would anyone create such a droid?" Jobal asked, referring to the Analex droid.  
  
"They are usually created by bounty hunters with some kind of skills in technology. They are used by these bounty hunters to break into banks and even homes in our case, or they are sold to other bounty hunters and criminals, who use them in the same way," Anakin replied.  
  
Ruwee was impressed by his son-in-law's knowledge of the droid. "How do you know so much?"  
  
"Excuse me?" Anakin replied somewhat confused.  
  
"About the droids and machines and bounty hunters?" Ruwee asked, restating his question more clearly.  
  
He said he picked up bits of his knowledge here and there, especially when he was younger and worked in Watto's shop on Tatooine. He told them how some of it he just learned from various missions and such.  
  
"Tell us more about your past, before you became a Jedi," Jobal requested.  
  
He told them everything, from when he worked for Watto as a slave, leaving his mother when he was just nine years old with Qui-Gon Jinn, to pursue his dreams of becoming a Jedi. He remembered how their daughter had helped him get through the pains of leaving his beloved mother. Ruwee and Jobal sat in awe, not sure what to make of Anakin's past.  
  
"Actually, that was one of the first things Padmé said to me," Anakin told them.  
  
"What was?" Jobal asked, for she had never heard how her daughter and son- in-law met. "Padmé has never really told us in detail how you met her. Just that you met on Tatooine."  
  
"Well, I was nine and a slave of Watto's. I was out working in the junkyard, cleaning I believe, when Watto called me in to watch the store while he tried to sell some items. When I walked in I saw the most beautiful girl in whole galaxy." Padmé blushed. "I asked her if she was an Angel, and she said I was a funny little boy and asked how I knew so much. From that day on I knew I wanted to marry her." Padmé blushed again, not realizing that Anakin's love for her had started on that fateful day they had met.  
  
"That's so sweet!" Jobal exclaimed.  
  
Anakin leaned over and kissed his wife's forehead as Jobal and Ruwee stood up and walked away. "I love you," Anakin whispered in her ear softly.  
  
"I love you, too," Padmé whispered back and then kissed his soft lips for a moment.  
  
Ruwee and Jobal had gone into the kitchen. Ruwee was reading the paper while Jobal made lunch. Jobal stopped to look out the window. She watched Anakin and Padmé kiss each other playfully back and forth, and made a few comments about how the two looked like sweet little lovebirds and how they were perfect for each other. Jobal finally drew herself away from the window and went back to preparing lunch.  
  
A/N- I have to say that this is probably one of my least favorite chapters. The next chapter is my favorite, because so much happens in it! For example-oh wait! I don't want to give it away! I guess you'll have to check back later and read it for yourself. Don't forget to review! 


	8. Chapter 8

A/N-This chapter is kind of short, but a lot happens in it. Ok-I just realized that when I put things in Italics, it doesn't show up. When the characters are thinking, I usually use italics, so if something didn't make sense in the last chapter, it's probably because they were thinking. Sorry bout that!**Also thanks to Juliette for helping me with this chapter! What would I do with out you, hun?**  
  
CHAPTER 8  
  
Anakin was busy programming R2D2 to wake them if he saw someone enter the house in the middle of the night. Sola and Jobal were conversing while cleaning up from dinner and Padmé was in her room tidying it up. Ruwee was out in the yard, gardening.  
  
There was a sudden high-pitched scream from Padmé's bedroom. Anakin jumped up and ran to her, fearing the worst. Jobal and Sola followed him, expecting to see Padmé dead on the floor of her room.  
  
Anakin swung the door open with such might that it felt like it would fall off its hinges. He saw Padmé standing in the middle of the room, pointing towards the corner.  
  
"What's wrong?! Are you hurt?!" Anakin pratically screamed.  
  
"No, I'm fine. But there's a really HUGE bug over there! Somebody kill it! " Padmé yelled.  
  
Jobal let out a sigh of relief and Sola laughed at her sister's fear. Anakin got a jar from the kitchen so he could trap the bug and take it to the yard. The bug was fast, but Anakin was faster, using the force to determine the bug's next move. He caught it within seconds and took it outside. He dumped it as far away from the house as he could.  
  
"Why didn't you kill it?" Padmé asked the second he re-entered the house.  
  
"Jedi aren't trained to kill. To protect yes, but to kill. . .besides, what did it do to you?"  
  
Padmé considered his point for a few moments and agreed. "I guess your right," she said. "At least it wasn't a kouhun." She remembered the night as if it were yesterday. The night that Zam Wessel had so cleverly released the poisonous oversized centipede-like creatures into her bedroom in Coruscant. She had hated bugs ever since then. She'd have been killed if it hadn't been for Anakin. 'Just like last night,' she thought. 'Anakin truly does love me from the bottom of his heart. He risked his life for me more than once.' "I love you," she told him, and she meant it more than she ever had in her life.  
  
"I love you, too," Anakin replied.  
  
Padmé went back to her cleaning and Anakin left her to finish programming R2.  
  
*****  
  
"Goodnight, Ryoo. Goodnight, Pooja," Sola said as she tucked the two girls into bed. She kissed each of them on the forehead. Padmé stood in the doorway and watched her sister tuck her nieces into bed. Padmé longed for children of her own, but her duties as Senator would conflict with her duties as a mother. And Anakin would surely get in trouble with the Jedi Council. She, too, said goodnight to the two little girls and went to her bedroom, where Anakin was waiting for her in bed. Padmé changed quickly into her long white nightgown and laid down next to her husband. Anakin pulled her on top of himself and Padmé kissed him passionately. Before either of the two knew what was going on, they were both undressed, and both knew that they wouldn't get much sleep that night.  
  
*****  
  
Padmé awoke an hour or so later to find herself wrapped in her husband's strong arms. Padmé recollected the happens a few hours ago. 'Why did I give in like that? If I get pregnant Anakin's and my secret will be discovered!' she thought to herself. Padmé grew weary from all the thinking and worrying and soon fell asleep.  
  
*****  
  
Anakin drifted out of sleep about three hours after Padmé had woken up. He rolled over and looked at the clock. 4:02. He heard a hum coming from down the street. 'That's strange,' Anakin thought. His instincts told him that something was not right. He gently lifted his wife so he could pull his arm out from under her. He then quietly got out of bed and put on the first Jedi robe he could find. He grabbed his lightsaber and ran out the front door.  
  
Anakin let the force guide him down the street, where he could clearly make out the outline of a ship. He saw two masked figures carrying one package each. The packages resembled life-size dolls, one a little bigger than the other.  
  
"Anakin! Help!" the bigger doll-like figure screamed.  
  
"Ryoo! Pooja!" Anakin knew their voices anywhere. He drew out his lightsaber and used the force to increase his speed, but he couldn't catch the men. The minute they saw the Jedi chasing them, they each pulled out a blaster pistol and fired. Anakin blocked every shot they threw at him, but it caused him to slow down, and the masked figures jumped onto the ship and closed the door.  
  
Anakin searched his robe and within a matter of seconds, found what he was looking for, a tracking device. He activated the tiny round object a tossed it onto the hull of the ship. He ran home to report the disturbing news.  
  
A/N-What do ya think? I finally figured out where I was going with this story! YAY! *bounces* 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N-sorry to keep y'all waiting like that! I haven't had anytime to type up my chapters, but I've had oodles of time to right. As Juliette stated in her last review, I have 13 chapters completed in my little blue notebook and I have just started chapter 14! Ok, at one point in this chapter, I needed to write what was happening in two different places at the same time (it's right before and right after the asterisks), just wanted to say that so you're not confused. YAY! Only 28 more days till Episode 2 comes out on DVD and Video! I can't wait! All right, enough of my blabbering; here's chapter 9!  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Anakin was barely out of breath when he reached the Nabberie's house. He ran first to Padmé. He woke her up and she asked why he was dressed in his robes so early.  
  
"Ryoo and Pooja were kidnapped!" he screamed. Padmé jumped up and threw on her white nightgown. She ran through the door to Sola's room.  
  
"Sola! Wake up!" Padmé yelled while shaking her sister violently.  
  
"Padmé? What are you doing? It's nearly 4:30 in the morning," Sola replied sleepily.  
  
Not wanting to send Sola on a frantic rampage, she calmly asked her sister to go to the living room.  
  
"Why? It's too early."  
  
"Something happened. Go with Anakin, he'll tell you about it." Sola got out of bed, afraid another bounty hunter was lurking around the house. She walked to the living room with Anakin while Padmé went to wake her parents.  
  
"Mom, Mom, wake-up. Get Dad up, too!"  
  
"Padmé, it's early, go back to bed."  
  
"Mother, Ryoo and Pooja are gone! Anakin says they were kidnapped!"  
  
"Oh my heavens! Padmé, why didn't you tell us?!"  
  
Padmé rolled her eyes. 'You didn't give me a chance,' she thought. "Just go into the living room, Annie will explain everything.  
  
***** (This is the confusing part, it's like backtracking, and it's set with Anakin and Sola, and Padmé just left to wake her parents, it confuses me still, and I wrote it! lol)  
  
Padmé walked quickly walked towards her parents' room. Anakin helped Sola up and they walked into the hallway.  
  
"What's going on? Was there another bounty hunter?" Sola asked in alarm.  
  
"Well, not exactly. I think you should sit down," Anakin told her. Sola's eyes grew wide with fear as she walked towards the couch. "Sola, I'm so sorry. I don't know the best way to tell you this, so I'm just going to come out and say it." He hesitated a moment and waited for her to sit down on the couch. She didn't, so he continued. "Ryoo and Pooja have been kidnapped."  
  
Sola collapsed onto the couch and gasped for breath. "What? My babies . . .kidnapped?!" Tears streamed down her face. "When I get my hands on who ever did this, I swear I'll kill them!!" she yelled out of pure anger.  
  
Padmé walked in to the room to see a sobbing Sola. She walked over and sat next to her. Jobal did the same. They each gave her a comforting hug. Ruwee watched from the doorway.  
  
Anakin started to tell everyone what happened. "I woke up about twenty minutes ago, the force telling me something was wrong. I put on my robes and let the force guide me. I saw two masked men carrying Ryoo and Pooja. The girls were screaming for me to help them. I took out my lightsaber and used the force to increase my speed, but the kidnappers pulled out blaster and shot at me. I needed to use the force to block the bullets, and this caused me to slow down. I couldn't catch them." Anakin had a look of failure on his face.  
  
"But you did attach a tracking device to the ship, right?" Padmé asked, trying to make him feel better.  
  
"Yes, I am going to contact Obi-Wan immediately." With that, he turned and walked to his room, where he pulled out his communicator. He hoped his master would answer, as it was three hours earlier in Coruscant.  
  
*****  
  
Obi-Wan was normally a heavy sleeper, but tonight was different. Something was going to happen. He could feel it, and this took him in and out of a light sleep. He quickly awoke at the sound of his communicator beeping. "Hello?"  
  
"Master, you're up early," Anakin joked.  
  
"What's wrong Anakin?" He knew something had to be wrong. Why else would his Padawan call him at two o'clock in the morning?  
  
"Senator Amidala's nieces were kidnapped about a half an hour ago. I have a feeling it was issued by the same person who sent the bounty hunter last night."  
  
"Yes, that's likely."  
  
"I attached a tracker to the hull of the ship right before it took off, with the girls inside."  
  
"Good, that may give us some clues as to where the kidnapper is headed."  
  
"Kidnappers," Anakin corrected.  
  
"What?" Obi-Wan asked.  
  
"Kidnappers, there were two of them."  
  
"Oh, I see. I set-up a meeting with the council for later today, around eleven o'clock our time."  
  
"Ok," Anakin said, as he figured out the time he'd need to contact Obi-Wan for further instructions. '2:00 in the afternoon,' he thought.  
  
"Anakin, don't go anywhere or do anything, I mean it," Anakin replied as he rolled his eyes. "I'll check back with you before eleven, you time, of course. You need your sleep. May the force be with you, Master."  
  
"May the force be with you, too, my Padawan." They both shut off their communicator.  
  
Anakin opened the door to find that Padmé, Sola, and Jobal had been leaning against the door. The three women fell to the floor.  
  
"Eavesdropping, eh?" Anakin asked. "That's illegal here in Naboo, you know." They all laughed at the much-needed joke, but quickly regained a serious state.  
  
"What's happening?" Padmé asked.  
  
"My master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, has set-up a meeting at 2:00 Naboo time for me to with the Jedi Council. He also said not to go anywhere, that we should all stay put for our safety's sake."  
  
Everyone agreed not to go anywhere. Sola went back to bed. She covered her face in a pillow and cried herself to sleep.  
  
Back in the kitchen, Jobal was busy making coffee and tea for everyone. She did not feel like cooking a big breakfast today, so she toasted bread and put a few rolls on the table. She grabbed the huckleberry jam and the butter and put it on the table, also. Jobal then prepared a tray with a cup of tea and two pieces of toast, one with jam, the other with butter, for Padmé to take to her heartbroken sister.  
  
Padmé picked up the tray and walked to her sister's bedroom. She knocked quietly, and when there was no reply, she opened the door and went in. Sola was still asleep, crying out for Ryoo and Pooja every once and awhile. Padmé knew her sister needed sleep, so she waited for her to calm down, then she left the tray on the night table and left the room.  
  
*****  
  
Padmé came back to the room about two hours later to check on her sister. When she quietly walked over to pick up the tray, she was delighted to that Sola had drank half her tea and eaten one piece of toast. She looked at her sister, who was lying on her side, facing the wall. She figured that Sola had gone back to sleep. Padmé grabbed the tray and started to walk towards the door when her sister called her.  
  
"Padmé? Where are you going with my food?" she asked, trying to make the best of the horrible situation she was in. Padmé set the tray back down and her sister rolled over to face her. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were stained with tears. Padmé sat down next to her. She hugged Sola tightly and told her everything was going to be okay.  
  
"If they hurt my babies in anyway, I'll make sure they pay for it," Sola said bitterly.  
  
"Sola! You shouldn't say such things!" Padmé scolded. Sola didn't usually act like this, even in a bad situation, and this attitude surprised Padmé. Sola was normally a kind, gentle woman, the type who wouldn't dream of hurting anyone.  
  
"I'm sorry, Pad," Sola said. She began to weep again. "I . . . I miss them!" she said in-between sobs.  
  
Padmé held her sister tightly while she cried for quite awhile. "Everything is going to be okay, I promise," Padmé told her. "Anakin will get them back soon, especially if the Jedi Council helps him."  
  
Sola's crying slowed and she drifted off to sleep. Padmé laid her sister down and went to her own room to change her shirt, which was now soaked with Sola's tears.  
  
Anakin heard her come out of Sola's room and ventured down to the room they shared. "I had a feeling you were in here," he said, practically giving Padmé a heart attack. "How's Sola?"  
  
"She's upset. She cried for awhile," Padmé said, and she held up the tear stained shirt for him to see. They both laughed. Anakin walked over, put both his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a quick kiss.  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, his arms still around her.  
  
"For what?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, Anakin, it's not your fault! You tried and that's all that matters. At least you got the tracking device on their ship. We'll be able to find them in no time," she said and she leaned in for another kiss, which Anakin gladly gave to her.  
  
"I hope so," he said in reply.  
  
  
  
A/N- I hope you liked it! I'm gonna start typing chapter 10 soon! Please REVIEW! Love you all, especially all of you who have been reading all my chapters (Juliette & JoJo to name some, sorry to anyone else I didn't name that has read all my chapters!) Thanks again to Juliette for reviewing ALL my chapters before I type them! 


	10. Chapter 10

A/N-Hey! Chapter 10 is up! YAY! I hope I did well with the Yoda dialogue. That can be hard sometimes. . .  
  
Anakin looked at the clock. 'Quarter of two,' he thought. He paged Obi- Wan.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi, Master. How are you?"  
  
"Good. Are you almost ready?"  
  
"Yes, I'm programming R2D2 right now." R2 chirped happily.  
  
"Hello, R2," Obi-Wan said in reply.  
  
"There. All set."  
  
"Good, I'm on my way down to see the council. When I tell you, push the little green button on R2's side, and R2 will do the rest."  
  
"Yes, Master."  
  
"By the way, this meeting is not with the whole council. Just Master Yoda, Master Windu, and me. The rest of the council cannot make it. They will be informed of these events at a later date."  
  
"Oh," Anakin said, sounding disappointed.  
  
"Welcome, Obi-Wan," said a familiar voice in the background.  
  
"Ok, Anakin, press the green button."  
  
Anakin pressed the button and within a few moments, he could see a minute hologram of the three Jedi. They, too, could see him.  
  
"Greetings, Young Skywalker," Yoda said.  
  
"Hello, Master Yoda, Master Windu."  
  
Sola, Jobal Padmé, and Ruwee entered the room and sat down on the couch to listen. They made sure to stay out of the area that the Jedi in Coruscant could see.  
  
"Obi-Wan has told us about the bounty hunter, Tip Willis. Can you give anymore information pertaining to this alarming event?" Mace asked.  
  
"Yes, after searching profusely, the Senator and I found that Tip Willis entered through a window, using an Analex droid to slice the glass."  
  
"Ahhh, go on," Yoda told him.  
  
"This morning, around 4:00, Naboo time, the Senator's two nieces, Ryoo and Pooja, were kidnapped. A tracking device was successfully attached to the ship."  
  
"This is a complicated situation. Why would anyone want Senator Amidala's nieces?" Mace Windu said. He closed his eyes in deep thought. A few minutes later, he opened them, finding no more information than they already had.  
  
Once Mace's eyes had re-opened, Yoda said, "Track this ship, your master will. As for you, Young Skywalker, protect the Senator, you must. Grave danger I fear in this mission."  
  
"Look for anything that might tell you who is behind this kidnapping," Master Windu told Anakin. "May the force be with you." The blue hologram flickered and disappeared.  
  
Anakin looked towards the couch, where Sola was letting out the sobs she had held back during the meeting. Jobal hugged her and told her, "Crying is good for the heart. Let it all out."  
  
*****  
  
Padmé and Anakin searched high and low in the room that had belonged to the girls. They found that Ryoo and Pooja's window had, too, been cut by an Analex droid, just like the hallway window. This time, though, the droid had the time to finish sealing the slits.  
  
"R2 had no idea that anyone was in the house. He couldn't see into here! That's why he never woke us up!" Padmé suddenly exclaimed. It all made more sense now. "Good thing you woke up, or it might have been too late by the time we realized they were gone!" Padmé said to Anakin.  
  
Anakin showed that he accepted, and was thankful, for the confidence- boosting compliment by pulling his wife in and kissing her. "Even if I hadn't been woken up by the force, my Master and the Council still would have found them," he said reassuringly, as he pulled her in for another sweet kiss.  
  
They left the room to join the rest of their family in the kitchen. He could sense that everyone was worried. They sat in silence for about a half hour, but the beeping of Anakin's Communicator finally broke the silence. The sudden noise caused everyone to jump. Anakin answered his Communicator.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Anakin? This is Master Windu. Listen carefully. What I'm about to tell you is very important."  
  
A/N-Sorry it's so short! I felt like ending it with a cliffie! *Smiles deviously* Aren't I evil??? Only 27 days until AOTC comes out on DVD & Video! YAY! The wait is driving me insane. *Looks around cautiously* Mwahahahahaha! *Turns to see the men in white coming towards her slowly* Juliette! HELP! They're back! No! I already told you that I don't need that straight jacket anymore! *Picks up stapler and chucks it at the men* I got to go before they catch me again and lock me in the little room! *Talks to self* although, I did like the padded walls, they were fun! Byeness! Look for chapter 11 soon! 


	11. Chapter 11

A/N- hey everyone! Sorry it took me soooo long to put this next chapter up! I've been swamped with homework lately! I was also sick this past week and only went to school on Tuesday & Thursday, but left early both those days. Today is the only day I've actually felt up to typing, as I am actually feeling much better today, but the doctor told me I should stay home anyway. BLAH! I hafta take Biaxin (sp?) and since the pills are so HUGE we hafta cut em in half. The have the worst taste ever. Bleck *spits* yuck. AHH, lol, I just spilled blue Gatorade all down the front of me! AHAHAHA! Ok, enough of my talking! Here's Chapter 11!  
  
~*~*~Jessika~*~*~  
  
"There was another threat on the senator's life, not an attempt though." Padmé's entire family gathered around her, Anakin, and Anakin's communicator, and listened as Mace spoke. "We are afraid that this threat will turn into an attempt. We do not want that, so the council is sending your master along with Depa Billaba to Naboo, and they will be arriving in the morning. When they arrive, you are to take the senator to Coruscant. She will be safe there."  
  
"What about her family?" Anakin asked.  
  
"That's why we a sending Master Billaba. She will move them to a remote area, which we will tell you and Senator Amidala about later."  
  
"Yes, Master," Anakin replied grimly. This meant he and Padmé might have to be separated. They definitely wouldn't be allowed to share a bedroom once they arrived at the Jedi Temple.  
  
"When you arrive, you are to report immediately to the High Council meeting room. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"Good. May the force be with you." The communicator clicked as Mace shut his off.  
  
"I don't like hiding!" Padmé blurted out.  
  
"Padmé, please, just do what the say for now. Trust them," Anakin said sincerely.  
  
"But I won't be with you!" she said sadly. Anakin could see tears forming in her deep brown eyes.  
  
"I'll be there. Don't worry," Anakin told her, although he didn't fully believe what he was saying. He knew they couldn't be together at the Temple, at least not as much as they could here on Naboo.  
  
*****  
  
Anakin could feel the sadness and anger Padmé kept inside of her. "What's wrong, beautifully?" he asked, as her flicked the kitchen light on.  
  
Padmé had to shield her eyes from the blinding light for a moment. "Nothing," she said. She stood up and walked over to where Anakin leaned on the counter top. It would have been a believable answer, had Anakin not been a Jedi.  
  
"Something's wrong. I can feel it." He looked deep into her eyes and she began to cry a little.  
  
"What if they're dead? Or worse, what if they are being tortured and are slowly dying as we speak? Or-," She stopped when she saw Anakin's eyes were closed. "ANAKIN SKYWALKER! Are you listening to me?!" she screamed.  
  
"Shhh!" Anakin said. Padmé now realized what he was doing and felt bad for yelling at him.  
  
"Sorry," she whispered.  
  
"They're alive and well. They are happy. A little scared, though," Anakin said as he continued to meditate. He opened his eyes to a relieved-looking Padmé. 'Why didn't I think to do this earlier?' Anakin wondered. He wrapped his strong arms around Padmé's waist and pulled her in for a tight hug.  
  
Padmé melted into that hug. She looked up and yanked on her husband's Padawan braid, pulling him in for a kiss. This seemed to be her favorite way of telling Anakin to kiss her, with out actually telling him to. When she kissed him, Padmé felt like everything in the world was right again. Anakin broke the kiss when there was a knock at the door.  
  
Both looked to the clock. It was almost 12:30am. Anakin patted his lightsaber, making sure it was still clipped to his belt. He took Padmé by the hand and walked towards the door. "Stay behind the sofa, on the ground."  
  
"Why?" Padmé questioned.  
  
"Just in case," he replied. Padmé laid down behind the couch, as she was instructed, while Anakin walked cautiously towards the door. With a nervous hand, he turned the knob and slowly opened the door.  
  
"You know, it's not polite to keep your Master waiting for so long."  
  
Anakin nearly fell over backwards at the sudden sound of Obi-Wan's voice. He let Obi-Wan and Depa Billaba into the house. "Excuse me, Anakin, but where is the bathroom?"  
  
"Down that hall to the left," he said. Depa left him and Obi-Wan in the tiny entrance room. They walked into the family room. Obi-Wan tried not to laugh as he watched Naboo's highly-looked-up-to senator jump up from behind a couch wearing a flowing white night gown.  
  
"Say, what are you to doing up at such a late hour together?" Obi-Wan asked. "In your pajamas?" he added, noting how both his Padawan learner and the senator were dressed.  
  
"Well-uh-see, Senator Amidala woke-up hungry and I was asleep here on the couch. She accidentally woke me up when she knocked something off the counter," Anakin told Obi-Wan, shielding his thoughts at the same time so Obi-Wan wouldn't know that he was fibbing.  
  
"Oh," Obi-Wan said, only half believing him, until his eyes turned to the blankets strewn about the couch.  
  
Anakin followed his gaze. 'Thank goodness whoever was there last left the blankets out,' Anakin thought. "What are you doing here so late?" he asked his master, changing the subject. Depa Billaba finally returned from the bathroom.  
  
"Well, Master Yoda, Master Windu, and Master Yaddle and I were afraid the Sith might be behind these recent events and did not want them to interfere with our plans. So they decided to send me and Master Billaba here in the middle of the night, on sort of a. secret mission," Obi-Wan explained. He turned towards Padmé, "Hurry, Senator, you and Anakin must leave quickly."  
  
Padmé woke her parents and sister to bid them farewell. She told them that Obi-Wan had arrived to take her and Anakin back to Coruscant. She also introduced them to Depa Billaba, and left her to explain the current situation to the three adults. Padmé raced to her room to pack a few things. Upon entering her room, she found that Anakin had already packed a bag for her. He had a devious grin on his face.  
  
"What?" Padmé asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Anakin said.  
  
"You didn't-," she started to say, and ran to her bedside table. She yanked opened the drawer and sighed in relief. Anakin didn't know what was in there, but he tried very hard not to grin when she turned back around, but was having trouble with this task. She ran over and hugged him tightly.  
  
Padmé leaned in for a kiss, which Anakin delightfully gave. After their kiss, Anakin couldn't help but add, "Are all your underwear as skimp as the red ones in your bag?"  
  
Padmé blushed and slapped his chest. He kissed her once more, and they left the room. They found Obi-Wan in the kitchen with Jobal, Ruwee, and Depa. The four of them were sitting around the tiny kitchen table, each drinking a warm glass of Jawa Juice.  
  
When the young couple entered, Obi-Wan got up to take them to the awaiting starship. Padmé kissed each of her family members good-bye and left. Obi- Wan just hoped the Sith, or who ever was behind this mess, would not find them.  
  
A/N~ ok, Tell me what you think! Hope ya liked it!!! Just 2 let ya know, I LOVE reviews *hint hint, nudge nudge* oh yea, I hope the part where Anakin was meditating and telling Padmé about Ryoo and Pooja didn't confuse you too much, I know it confused me when I reread it today. I've had this chapter written for like a month in my little blue book, all my chapters are written a month in advance, not that anyone cares, but ya know. Ok, now, go review! 


	12. Chapter 12

A/N-Wow! I managed to type AND post two chapters in one day! Amazing! I was watching Episode 2 while typing this, and I would suggest that to anyone, it really helps for you to get a feeling for the way the characters act and speak. Alright, here's chapter 12, I like this chapter, I think it's my favorite at of all of them so far. Oh, by the way, for those of you who LOVE Obi/Sabé romances, I think Sabé comes into the story in the next chapter ;)  
  
CHAPTER 12  
  
Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan had boarded the ship around three o'clock in the morning. Shortly after boarding, the ship had jumped into hyper drive. It was now 6:00am. They'd be landing on Coruscant in two more hours.  
  
Padmé was asleep in the only bedroom on the ship, while Obi-Wan slept in a recliner-like chair in the main room. His snores were loud enough to be heard on Naboo.  
  
Anakin walked quietly towards Padmé's room. He meditated outside her door, trying to see whether or not she was asleep. After a few minutes of non- helpful meditation, Anakin conjured up a plan to get into his wife's room, even if it was just for a few moments, because he knew Obi-Wan would never allow him in there.  
  
Anakin walked quickly towards the kitchen and prepared some tea and a grabbed a few muffins. He placed these items on a tray and walked backed to the senator's room.  
  
He knocked gently on the door, not wanting to wake either Padmé or Obi-Wan. 'I just want to see my wife, to feel her presence,' he thought. He opened the door slowly, trying to avoid any creaking.  
  
She was asleep, as Anakin had presumed. He laid the tray down on the nightstand next to her bed. The spoon, which had been balancing atop the teacup, crashed to the floor.  
  
Padmé stirred. She rolled over and looked up at him. "Hey there, handsome," she said, forgetting completely that they were on a ship and Obi- Wan was in the other room.  
  
"Shhhh, Padmé, you might wake Obi-Wan! He's only one room away, ya know," Anakin told her. Padmé looked around, and the expression on her face told him that she now realized where they were.  
  
Padmé sat up and nibbled on the muffin. Anakin walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. She looked into his piercing blue eyes, and he looked back into her warm brown eyes. "I love you," she mouthed to him.  
  
"I love you, too," he mouthed back. He leaned in for a quick kiss and left the room. He shut the senator's door, with a slight smile on his face. He turned around, and walked straight into Obi-Wan. "Uh, hi."  
  
"The senator's room is no place for a Jedi," Obi-Wan said.  
  
"She was hungry and asked me to bring her something to eat," Anakin replied. 'Second lame story today!' he thought. 'Maybe he'll believe this one, too.'  
  
"Be mindful of your feelings, Anakin. They-,"  
  
"Betray you," Anakin finished. He had heard this at least a thousand times.  
  
Obi-Wan sighed. "Anakin, I know you love her. I can feel it in you. Be careful," he said, and he turned and walked into the kitchen.  
  
Anakin sighed. 'Boy will he be surprised when he finds out we're married,' he thought, and he laughed picturing Obi-Wan's surprised and shocked face. 'If he ever finds out.'  
  
*****  
  
Obi-Wan grabbed a cup of coffee and sat at the table. He knew that his Padawan was in love with Senator Amidala, he always had been, but what made the situation worse was that he believed the senator loved his Padawan back. Her love was strong for him, and Obi-Wan could feel it through the Force. 'It's obvious the two have strong feelings for each other, but what do I do about?' Obi-Wan thought.  
  
"You won't tell the council, will you?"  
  
Obi-Wan was startled by his Padawan's voice. He looked confused, he wasn't sure what it was that Anakin didn't want him to tell the council.  
  
"Really, Master, I'd think a Jedi of your status would be able to shield his thoughts a little better than that," Anakin said, noting Obi-Wan's confused expression.  
  
It was true. Obi-Wan had not thought to shield his thoughts from his Padawan. "Honestly, I forgot you were around, and that you can hear what I'm thinking," Obi-Wan stated. You're getting much better and tapping into other people's private thoughts."  
  
"Hey, I learned from the best," Anakin said, trying to get on his master's good side before restating his question.  
  
"Do you really think that sucking up to me will make me think twice about telling the council about you and the senator?" Obi-Wan asked. He noticed the worried look on Anakin's face. He wasn't really going to tell the Council about their relationship, but he couldn't pass up a chance like this to tease and scare his Padawan.  
  
"Well-I-uh-I dunno," Anakin stammered, not knowing how to reply.  
  
Obi-Wan couldn't suppress his laughter for much longer and was soon letting out a few chuckles here and there.  
  
"What's so funny?" Anakin asked, slightly annoyed.  
  
"Nothing.its just - well, I haven't seen you this worried since we were in the elevator last year on our way to see the senator," Obi-Wan said. "I won't tell, as long as it does not evolve into anything more than it already is."  
  
'That shouldn't be too hard considering the fact that we're already married," Anakin thought with a slight smile.  
  
"Your WHAT?!?!" Obi-Wan yelled, and Anakin's smile changed into a frown as soon as he realized what had happened.  
  
'How could I have been so stupid as to not put up my shield! We were just talking about that a few moments ago!' Anakin thought, this time making sure to put up his shield. "No, Master, I'm Anakin," he replied, pretending as if he didn't know what happened. "What is a part of speech that--,"  
  
"I know what 'what' is!" Obi-Wan exclaimed.  
  
"Well, then, why did you say I was what?" Anakin said, stalling for time. He was still trying to pretend he had no idea what was going on.  
  
"I didn't, and stop acting like you don't know what is going on! Jedi aren't allowed to marry!" he yelled at his Padawan. "The Council will NOT approve of this!" he said, more to himself than to Anakin.  
  
Padmé came running into the kitchen. "What's wrong?! Is someone hurt?" she asked. "I heard a lot of yelling from my room and-,"  
  
"Why don't you ask your husband what's going on?!" Obi-Wan said, making sure to put extra emphasis on the word 'husband.' He stormed out of the room.  
  
"Anakin? What happened? How does he know that we-we're married?" Padmé asked.  
  
"Well, Obi-Wan and I were discussing my love for you and your love for me. He said he wouldn't tell the council about 'us' as long as we didn't pursue our love. That is when I thought, 'that should be easy, since we're married,' which wouldn't have been such a big deal if I-," he trailed off. He hated admitted that he failed to do something.  
  
"If you what, Ani?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"If I hadn't forgotten to shield my thoughts. He read them, and now he knows. He'll most likely tell the Council. I'll be expelled from the order and you'll-," he was cut off by a sweet, much needed kiss.  
  
"Will never stop loving you, know matter what happens," she finished for him.  
  
Anakin kissed Padmé's perfect lips again, knowing that each kiss might be their last. It was entirely possible that Anakin would be expelled, but considering the fact that he was 'The Chosen One,' the Council might just separate the two young lovers. This worried both of them.  
  
*****  
  
Obi-Wan was in the main room, where he had slept earlier. He looked up to see Anakin and Padmé walking toward him, hand-in-hand. "Yes?" he asked the couple.  
  
Padmé's persuasive negotiating skills would definitely come in handy now. "Let me do the talking," she had told Anakin earlier, when they had decided to try to convince the Jedi Knight to keep their secret. "Master Kenobi, I know as well as you do that Jedi are not allowed to marry, but we love each other. I think a Jedi Knight as great as you can understand that."  
  
Obi-Wan sighed. He had been in love once, and he understood what they were going through. "I understand this, but that does not make it right," Obi- Wan said sternly. He saw Padmé trying hard to hold back tears. He sighed again, and said, "I will keep your secret, on one condition. Do NOT display your affections in front of me." Padmé and Anakin let go of each other's hand.  
  
"Deal," Padmé replied. The couple left the room. Obi-Wan sat for a long while, recollecting that time where he had been in love.  
  
It was so long ago, before Darth Maul had killed his master. Right before they had found Anakin. "Sabé," he whispered to the empty room. Obi-Wan had been in love with Padmé's handmaiden and bodyguard. He wanted to tell her, but Jedi were not to think such things and feel such feelings. Sabé and Obi-Wan had spent a lot of time together while Qui-Gon Jinn was in Mos Espa on Tatooine. The ship had broken down, and Obi-Wan had been instructed to stay with the ship. He had still been a Padawan learner then, and over the course of a few days, had fallen in love with the beautiful decoy. "It would have never worked anyway," he said to himself. "She probably didn't love me the way I loved her anyway." He dismissed his thoughts and went to the cockpit. "Captain, will we be arriving soon?"  
  
"Yes, Master Jedi. Approximately fifteen minutes."  
  
Obi-Wan left the cockpit to find Padmé and Anakin. He walked through the main room, and into the kitchen. The only place he hadn't looked was the bedroom. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. He was about to knocked when he heard a faint groan from inside the room. Disgusted, Obi- Wan left them to enjoy their last few minutes together before landing. 


	13. Chapter 13

A/N-Ahh pooie, I had this really long author's note typed up, but my laptop went all berserk and just turned off on its own. Weird. Anyway, I was saying how I was listening to the Episode 2 soundtrack. A really pretty song is on & its called Love Theme (*sarcastically* such an original title), which is not to be confused with Love Pledge (my favorite, it's the one where Padmé tells Anakin that she loves him, right before the executions) alright, my other note was longer, but I don't want to bore you!! Hope I did ok with the Yoda dialogue and Here's chapter 13, don't forget to review! Oh WAIT!! When you see words in between slash marks (//), it means they are talking through the force. Ok, Now here's chapter 13!  
  
*CHAPTER 13*  
  
Upon descending the landing ramp, Anakin found a Jedi sent there to remind Senator Amidala, Obi-Wan, and himself to report directly to the meeting room.  
  
"Your bags will be brought directly to your rooms," the Jedi said, as he eyed Anakin suspiciously.  
  
"Thank you," Obi-Wan said, and he dismissed the young Jedi. The three of them walked towards the meeting room in silence. A few minutes later, they entered the High Council meeting room to see the entire Jedi Council, with the exception of Depa Billaba, waiting for them.  
  
"Welcome, Senator Amidala," Mace Windu. He nodded to Anakin and Obi-Wan, and they bowed back. "We called you here to discuss the Senator's safety." Anakin glanced at Padmé; he knew she hated when others talked about her as if she weren't there at all. Anakin was standing in the exact center of the room, his wife on his left side. Obi-Wan on the other hand, was standing off towards the side and further back than the young couple  
  
Yoda began to speak. "But first, another matter of business, we have. A marriage there was, one year ago. Between a Jedi Padawan and a senator, it was."  
  
Anakin shot a look at Obi-Wan.  
  
//I didn't say anything!// he told his apprentice.  
  
"Right, your master is, young Skywalker. Foresee your marriage, the council did."  
  
Anakin saw the color drain from Padmé's face. "Master Yoda, if you saw our marriage coming, why didn't you stop it?" Anakin asked. 'Why would the council make me and Padmé suffer like this when they take us away from each other?'  
  
Yoda did not answer Anakin's question at first. "Upset the council was when they learned that the wedding had already taken place!" Padmé was afraid. Afraid she would lose the one and only man she'd ever loved, and it looked like that would be the case. Either that or poor Ani would be expelled from the Order. "It's a shame, young Skywalker! A promising Jedi, you are indeed!"  
  
Anakin was fighting to hold back his tears. He didn't want to be expelled, but he also didn't want to lose his beloved wife.  
  
"You don't get on the council's good side by not inviting us to the wedding, you know," Mace said. Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan looked confusingly upon the Council members.  
  
'Are they out of their minds?!' Obi-Wan thought, shielding this from the accomplished Jedi. 'Marriage is forbidden for a Jedi, why would they be upset if they weren't invited to the wedding?' and 'Wouldn't they be upset about the marriage?' were a few of the questions running through their minds.  
  
"Approve of your marriage, the council does. Good it will be for everyone in the galaxy," Yoda declared.  
  
Obi-Wan's jaw dropped. Was the council encouraging the Jedi to fall in love, or was this allowed just because Anakin is the Chosen One?  
  
//Obi-Wan, love is good for all Jedi. The times are changing, and little by little, so is the code. That does not mean that all Jedi will be allowed to love though. Only those who the council believes can handle a love life and the work of a Jedi, shall be allowed to love// Master Windu said inside his head.  
  
"Now, back to your safety, Senator Amidala," Mace said, changing the subject.  
  
"Stay here, at the Jedi temple, you will. Protect you, young Skywalker shall," Yoda told the trio, and Padmé looked relieved. Her husband and she wouldn't have to be separated!  
  
"You will be shown to your rooms after this meeting," Ki Adi-Mundi stated.  
  
"Track down these kidnappers your master will," Yoda told Anakin. Yoda sighed, and spoke again. "The dark side I sense in this mission."  
  
A few Jedi winced at the words 'dark side.' It was not an easily talked about subject, since some of the dark lords had been Jedi at one time. "May the force be with you," Yoda said, and this was their cue to leave. Anakin and Obi-Wan bowed and the three of them left, with Anakin holding Padmé close to him, his arm around her waist. Yoda smiled at the sight of the two young lovers.  
  
*****  
  
Obi-Wan went to his quarters, he needed no escort to show him where to go. Padmé and Anakin were shown to a room, one that was specially furnished to fit their needs. On the pillows of their queen-sized bed, were a few candies and a note. It read: Enjoy your new life together! Love: The Jedi Council  
  
"That was nice of them," Padmé stated. Both still couldn't believe that the Jedi had approved their marriage, let alone that they were being allowed to share a room.  
  
Anakin concentrated, and he could feel Padmé's jumbled emotions. Love, sadness, anguish, but most of all, he could feel how worried she was. He could feel no fear in his wife though. She was just very worried, and he knew why. He watched her flop down onto the bed and lay there for quite some time. He lay down next to her and she inched closer to him. Anakin wrapped his arm around her. He quickly fell asleep; he was tired from the long journey and the meeting with the Council. Padmé stayed awake, however; she had slept on the ship.  
  
She looked up at Anakin. He looked so peaceful while he slept. Anakin's dream fluttered back into her mind, the one where Ryoo and Pooja disappeared. 'Maybe his dream meant they'd be kidnapped! I'll have to ask him about that later,' she thought as she too drifted off to sleep.  
  
*****  
  
Obi-Wan sat up in his recliner. He recalled the last hour or so. 'The Council is bending the Code more and more each day! I still want to think they are making an exception. Anakin is the Chosen One, right?' Obi-Wan was again confused. He didn't know what to make of the situation he was in right now. He didn't know if the Council was really allowing love and marriage, or if this was a one-time thing. Obi-Wan found that all this thinking was making him tired. He hadn't slept well on the ship, it's hard to sleep in such an uncomfortable chair. He stumbled to his bed, rolled in, and went right to sleep. It had been a long day for all three of them.  
  
A/N- how'd ya like it? Did I fool ya? Did you think Anakin would be expelled or separated from Padmé? Lemme know in your reviews! I love it when you guys review my stories! It gives me this warm, fuzzy feeling inside! Ok, so go review for me, and I'll keep the chapters coming! 


	14. Chapter 14

A/N- Keep in mind that food poisoning is more serious on Coruscant than it is here on Earth! And someone who hasn't been in the story enters in this chapter *wink wink* Also, this *new* person, I don't think he/she was in Episode 2, so in this story, (s)he hasn't seen Anakin since Episode 1.  
  
Obi-Wan awoke in a room that was not his own. He saw Anakin on a big chair with Padmé asleep on his lap.  
  
"Good, your up," Anakin said as soon as he saw his master's eyes open. "My leg is starting to go numb," he said, more to himself than to Obi-Wan. He shifted Padmé onto his other leg and rubbed the numb one.  
  
"Anakin, where am I?" Obi-Wan said. He did not recognize this room. 'It reminds me of a hospital!' he thought.  
  
"The infirmary. You've got a bad case of food poisoning. Good thing I found you."  
  
"What do you mean 'found me'? I was in my bed."  
  
Anakin stared at him blankly. "You don't remember anything, do you? About last night, I mean."  
  
"Last night? Last night I went to Naboo and took you and Padmé back here. See I do remember," Obi-Wan stated.  
  
"Master, that was the other night. I found you on the floor of your bathroom. I tried to wake you, but you just laid there. You slept all day yesterday and last night." At this point, a doctor came into the room.  
  
"Master Kenobi, I see you have awoken. I'm Doctor Tadue. How are you feeling?" she asked her patient.  
  
"A little dizzy, but other than that I'm fine," Obi-Wan replied to the blonde haired doctor's question. She checked his stats and left after giving Obi-Wan a pill to treat his poisoning. Padmé had slowly awoken when she heard the doctor come in.  
  
"Hey, how's everything?" Padmé asked Obi-Wan, the sound of sleep still in her voice.  
  
"Good," he replied. Just then, the door swung open.  
  
"Padmé? Padmé! The Council told me I'd find you here!"  
  
Obi-Wan couldn't see who it was from the spot where he lay, but he knew clearly from the voice. A woman, Padmé's age, had entered the room.  
  
Padmé jumped up. "Sabé! I didn't know you were here on Coruscant too!" The two friends embraced in a quick hug and Padmé sat back down on Anakin's lap. Sabé walked into the part of the room Obi-Wan could see.  
  
"Hello," she said, and she stared at the couple with great amusement. She didn't know who this strange young man was. "Padmé, is this your boyfriend?" she said, emphasizing the word boyfriend.  
  
Padmé laughed. "Sabé, uh, this is Anakin."  
  
"Anakin? The same Anakin we picked up on Tatooine? Wow, you've grown," Sabé said, admiring his handsome features.  
  
"Sab, there's something you got to know, but you can't be mad it me for not telling you. I had to keep it a secret, I couldn't tell anyone, except my family," Padmé told her. She felt horrible for keeping a secret like this from her best friend. She studied Sabé expression, and when she was sure that her friend wouldn't be married, she continued. "I'm married, Sabé." She held out her hand to show a diamond ring and a wedding band, as if to prove what she had just said. Padmé could wear these two rings freely now.  
  
"Your married?! Why didn't you tell me? Never mind that. To whom?" she asked, obviously not making the connection. Padmé thought it would be obvious to tell who her husband was; after all, she was sitting on his lap. Sabé was as excited as a little girl on Christmas morning.  
  
"To Anakin."  
  
"What? How's that p- I thought Jedi weren't allowed to marry! Doesn't the code forbid it?"  
  
"Yes, which surprised us when they approved of our marriage," Anakin told her.  
  
All this time, Sabé hadn't even noticed that there was another being in the room. She turned to study the room she was in, and saw a man lying in a hospital-type bed. "Obi-Wan? Is that you? It's been far too long." She studied him for a moment.  
  
"Yes, it has. How are you?" he asked.  
  
"Fine, thank you. What brings you to the infirmary?"  
  
"Food poisoning," he replied. He was suddenly embarrassed to his reason for why he was there. It couldn't be because he had been injured while fighting bounty hunters, or the Sith, or something brave and dangerous. No, he had food poisoning.  
  
Sabé walked over towards him and sat on the edge of the bed. She reached out and laid her hand on his. "I hope you feel better soon," she told him sincerely.  
  
"Thank you," was all Obi-Wan could say. He was too mesmerized by his lost love's beauty. Anakin watched in wonder, and caught the twinkle in his master's eye.  
  
//You love her!// he told his master.  
  
//Nonsense, my young Padawan. We were friends before we found you// Obi- Wan replied.  
  
Anakin didn't believe him. //You should tell her. Padmé and I will leave if you'd like.//  
  
The conversation was cut short when they heard Sabé whisper, "What are they doing?" She had been watching the two men, and they seemed to be concentrated pretty hard.  
  
"Talking through the force," Padmé answered. "What's so secret that you can't say out loud, hmm?"  
  
"Nothing," both men replied at the same time, before Padmé had even finished asking her question. Padmé and Sabé just looked at each other and laughed.  
  
"What's so funny?" Anakin asked.  
  
"Nothing," the two ladies replied together. This made them laugh even more, until Obi-Wan and Anakin couldn't help but laugh, too.  
  
"I'll be right back," Padmé said once the laughing had died down. "I have to use the bathroom.  
  
"I'll come with you," Sabé said, and the two of them left the room.  
  
"You should tell her, Master," Anakin said as soon as he was sure Padmé and Sabé were no longer within earshot.  
  
"No, Anakin. Jedi aren't allowed to-"  
  
"Love? The times have changed Master. You heard what Master Windu said to you earlier, didn't you? That love is good for all Jedi?" Anakin told his Master, revealing that he had once again been reading his thoughts.  
  
"I'm not ready to tell her."  
  
"So you do love her! I knew it!"  
  
"Is it that obvious?" Obi-Wan asked nervously.  
  
"No," Anakin said sarcastically. "Your whole face just lit up at the sound of her voice. And I have to admit, I've never seen you so happy to see anyone else."  
  
Obi-Wan sighed. "When the time is right, I will tell her."  
  
"Tell who what?" Padmé asked upon re-entering the room, with Sabé at her side.  
  
"Nothing, just Jedi business, my love," Anakin told Padmé.  
  
"Oh?" Padmé said as Anakin wrapped his strong arms around her waist. Sabé and Obi-Wan watched as the two flirted playfully back and forth. Sabé had a huge smile on her face, and Obi-Wan had turned his attention toward her. She glanced at Obi-Wan and smiled, and he smiled back.  
  
Anakin pulled Padmé over to the love seat in the room, leaving Sabé with the chair, which was closer to Obi-Wan's bed. Obi-Wan knew that Anakin had done that on purpose, and he was secretly thankful. "So, Sabé, are you married yet?" Anakin asked, trying to help his master a bit.  
  
"No," she replied. Obi-Wan sent a "force-message" to Anakin.  
  
//What are you doing?!// he asked.  
  
//Trying to help you out. I mean, you don't want to have a crush on a married woman, do ya?// Obi-Wan didn't say anything else, he was once again secretly grateful for his Padawan's help, although he wouldn't admit that to Anakin. He felt that that would only make him more arrogant than he already was.  
  
"Do you have anyone special in your life? Boyfriend-wise, I mean," Anakin continued. Padmé elbowed Anakin lightly in the ribs. She suddenly felt a tinge of jealousy growing inside of her. Why was her husband asking her best friend all the questions about love and marriage?  
  
"No, unfortunately. I am in love with someone, but I am afraid I cannot marry him."  
  
"Oh, does this man not love you back?" Anakin asked, glancing quickly at Obi-Wan in mid-sentence.  
  
"I don't think he does. I don't think he could or ever will, either. I don't wish to talk about this right now," Sabé said, and Anakin could see the sadness in her eyes. He did not continue the matter any further.  
  
"Ani, may I speak with you for a moment in the hall?" Padmé asked, sounding annoyed and almost angry.  
  
"Yes, my love, of course. Anything for you." The pair left the room and entered the hallway.  
  
"What is going on between you and Sabé?!" Padmé asked bitterly, releasing all of the green-eyed-monster within her.  
  
"What do you mean, Padmé?"  
  
"I mean, are you really in love with her, and not me?" Padmé realized that she sounded childish, but she didn't care. Had Anakin only pretended to love her, so he could use her to get to her best friend?  
  
Anakin was shocked by his wife's words and thoughts. "Padmé! How could you even think that?! I love you with all my heart. I'll love you till death do us part, you know that!"  
  
"If you love me so much, then why were you asking Sabé all those questions about love and marriage?!" Padmé exclaimed. Her eyes started burning as tears swelled into monstrous waves behind her eyelids, threatening to crash onto her cheeks at any moment.  
  
"In time, Pad, you will know, I promise. Right now though, I cannot say." He pulled her in for a kiss, but she pulled away, trying to escape his grasp.  
  
"Anakin Skywalker, if you do not tell me what is going on right now, I'll - I'll.I'll leave you forever!"  
  
"Padmé,"  
  
"Don't 'Padmé' me! Tell me NOW!"  
  
"Fine, have it your way, then," he said stubbornly. Then he lowered his voice to barely a whisper. "Obi-Wan loves Sabé."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"See, and now you ruined it, all because you were jealous."  
  
"I was not!" Padmé denied.  
  
"Come on, Pad, admit it. You thought I loved Sabé and not you, and you were jealous."  
  
"Ok, maybe a little." Anakin raised his eyebrows in doubt. "Alright! You win! I was jealous!" Padmé collapsed into his arms.  
  
"See, there was no use in denying it." Anakin kissed her, and Padmé didn't resist this time.  
  
"I love you," she said, and pulled his head down by his braid for another delightful kiss.  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
"I'm going to get Sabé to tell me who this 'secret love' of hers is," Padmé said. "I'm dying to know now!" She re-entered the room, with Anakin close behind her.  
  
"Everything ok, Pad?" Sabé asked, somewhat concerned.  
  
"Yeah, fine," she said cheerfully.  
  
"Oh, uh, we weren't sure. We thought we heard you yelling out there," Sabé teased.  
  
Padmé's face turned red with embarrassment. 'Was I really that loud?' she thought to herself. "So, Sabé, wanna go get some grub?" she asked, changing the subject.  
  
"That'd be great! I'm starved!" Sabé grabbed her bag and the two girls hurried to the cafeteria to get something to eat.  
  
'Here,' Padmé decided, 'will be the perfect place to find out about this guy she loves. It'll be like the old days, gossiping about boys at the lunch table!'  
  
A/N- Ok, this is all I have written in my little blue book! You guys will hafta give me some more time to write! With school again tomorrow, I'll actually have time to right (who pays attention in school anyway? Hahaha) ok, if you go review this chapter, then I will write more! If not, I won't! j/k, of course I'll write more! 


	15. Chapter 15

A/N~ I love this chapter, its one of my faves! Hope you like it too! Btw, I don't mean to, uh, offend anyone in this chapter, with the whole earth thing (u'll see in a bit), it's just the one character's point of view. I think its pretty funny, actually. Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are awesome! I love you all!  
  
CHAPTER 15  
  
Padmé and Sabé sat at a lunch table that was filled with about a dozen other girls. All of them looked at least five years younger than the two women, and all of them were Jedi Padawans.  
  
"Hi, I'm Arsinoe," one of the girls said, offering her hand.  
  
"I'm Padmé, and this is Sabé." They both shook the girl's hand.  
  
"This is Andé, Megaira, and Jodi," Arsinoe announced. "You guys aren't Jedi, are you?"  
  
"No, we're here on, uh, business, I guess you could say," Sabé quickly told her.  
  
"What planet are you from?" the girl named Andé asked.  
  
"Naboo," Padmé answered.  
  
"I heard it's nice there," Megaira said.  
  
"I've been there! It's a lot like Earth," Jodi chimed. "Earth is my home planet. Everyone is so naïve there." Andé excused herself at this point, and left. "They think there is no one else in the universe besides them! Can you believe that?!"  
  
"Are you serious? Why would they think that?" Sabé asked the girl.  
  
"I dunno. They just do. They haven't even figured out how to travel at the speed of light yet!" There was a brief chuckle from the five of them.  
  
"So how did you end up out here, Jodi?" Padmé asked.  
  
"Well, when I was very young, three, I think, I discovered I could move things with my mind. I thought it was fun, but everyone was afraid of my power, even my parents. One day, I told them about a dream I'd had the night before. I had seen my baby sister Emilie sick and then she died. My parents punished me for telling such lies, even though that was the dream I had. They thought I was doing it for attention, making up that 'story,' I mean. Anyway, they told the whole town what I had done. I learned to keep my dreams to myself. I had the same dream over and over again, but then it stopped suddenly about a few weeks after I had first dreamed it. Emilie died the day after the dreams stopped, from pneumonia. My parents blamed me for her death. My mother told me I was a demon from Hell, and my father called me a witch. He said I should be ashamed of myself for putting a curse on my own sister. That night, I had a dream that I was a Jedi, although I didn't know what they were called or anything about them at the time. I knew they were good though, because I could feel it. The next night, I ran away. I ran as fast as a four-year-old could . . ." she was cut of by Megaira.  
  
"I thought you were three?"  
  
"I had a birthday in between there, but I know for sure that I was four when I took off. About a week after that, I was cold, and starving. I slept in boxes, trash bins, and doorways. One night, a man came up to me and told me that I had the Force, and he explained what that was. He told that the Force was the reason I could move things with my mind, and see the future. He also told me about the Jedi. I wasn't able to understand half the stuff he was telling me, I was too young. This man told me he was going to take me on a starship to a planet called Coruscant. I went with him willingly, my instincts told me to trust him. And that is how I ended up here. Not too many Earthlings have Jedi powers, only a select few."  
  
"Do you know who the man was?" Padmé asked, fascinated by Jodi's childhood.  
  
Jodi smiled. "Yes, it was Master Windu." Megaira, Padmé, Sabé, and Arsinoe listened to Jodi tell about the wonderful things on Earth, from an animal called a horse to a food called ice cream. Megaira and Arsinoe were best friends with the redheaded Jodi, but she had never told them stories like these, including the one about Jodi's past. They had never asked her about it. The thing that fascinated Padmé most was Jodi's talk of the governments on earth. "They have seven different continents, and each of them is broken up into smaller countries. Some countries, like where I came from, were broken up even more, into states or provinces. I came from the continent of North America, the county called the United States of America, or USA, and the state of New York. In the USA, they have one main leader, called the president. Then, they have their own senate! It consists of one hundred people, two from each of the fifty states. And the House of Representatives, they have 435 people in it!  
  
Sabé, Megaira, and Arsinoe seemed bored with the stories of Earth's governments, but Padmé was amazed by it. 'They have their own senate! Imagine that!'  
  
Arsinoe decided to change the subject. "So how old are you two? Older than us I'm going to guess."  
  
"We're both twenty-five," Padmé answered. "What about you three?"  
  
"I'm eighteen, Jodi is seventeen, and Arsinoe is fifteen," Megaira told them.  
  
Sabé spotted Anakin out of the corner of her eye. She tapped Padmé lightly and pointed to where he was standing.  
  
"That's Anakin Skywalker," Megaira told Sabé and Padmé, who already knew who he was. "He's twenty."  
  
"Isn't he so cute?" Arsinoe asked.  
  
"Yes, he is," Padmé said, that tinge of jealousy reappearing.  
  
"He's a little too old for you, Arsinoe!!" Megaira chimed in as she fixed her hair.  
  
"He's only five years older! I have a chance with him!" Arsinoe told the group of girls.  
  
'Oh no you don't, hunny!' Padmé thought to herself. She wanted to run over to him and give him the biggest, longest kiss ever. She wanted to show the other girls that he belonged to her. 'I have to overcome this jealousy thing!' she exclaimed in her mind. Her thoughts were broken by Jodi's voice.  
  
"Jedi aren't allowed to love anyway," she said somberly. "We should all just forget about it, before we get hurt."  
  
Arsinoe paid no attention to Jodi's wise words. "Here he comes!" she squealed with delight. Jodi had obviously not paid attention to anything she had said either, for the three girls watched Anakin walked over almost as if they were in a trance.  
  
"Hello ladies," Anakin said. Padmé thought Arsinoe would faint right then and there. Megaira spoke up.  
  
"Hey Anakin! How are ya?"  
  
"Good, you?"  
  
"Great. Oh, these are our new friends. They're here on business from Naboo."  
  
'Please don't say anything, please don't!' Padmé mentally pleaded with Anakin. She knew he could read her thoughts, and she hoped he was right now.  
  
Anakin obviously got the message for he held out his hand and said, "Hi, I'm Anakin Skywalker."  
  
Padmé gratefully took his hand and shook it. She nudged Sabé, who got the message right away. "I'm Padmé Amidala, and this is my friend Sabé Bernali." Anakin turned and shook Sabé's hand. 'Thank you, Ani.'  
  
"Are you hungry, Anakin?" Arsinoe asked him nervously, and offered him some fried potato wedges.  
  
"A little," he said, and took a few of the potatoes.  
  
"Did you say you were Padmé Amidala?" Megaira asked.  
  
"Yes," Padmé replied.  
  
"Aren't you a Senator on Naboo?"  
  
"I am," she told Megaira.  
  
"Wow! I can't believe I'm meeting you! I've read so much about you in the archives!"  
  
"You have?" Padmé asked. She sounded surprised, and she was, because she had no idea she was in the archives.  
  
"Yes, from when you were queen and you landed on Tatooine after merely escaping the blockade to how you fought so hard to defeat the military creation act!"  
  
"If you haven't guessed it, your basically her idol," Jodi said, and Padmé blushed. She never thought anyone could look up to her the way Megaira did. "She even wrote one of her research papers on you."  
  
"I can't believe I didn't recognize you! I guess I was too caught up in-" she glanced at Anakin before finishing, "-stuff." Padmé knew what she really meant. She was too busy going gaga over her husband. This didn't bother her anymore, she wasn't going to let it get to her. She knew Anakin loved her, and that was all that mattered. "Oh jeez! Arsinoe, we're going to be late for our lightsaber training class if we don't hurry." Megaira picked up her tray, and Arsinoe did the same. "See ya later!" Megaira said before rushing off to the trashcan.  
  
"I better go, too. I have a meditation period with my master to prepare for," Jodi told the remaining three. She looked at the clock and said, "I still have a few minutes though."  
  
"I don't have any classes today. My master is in the infirmary," Anakin told them.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that! What's wrong with him?" Padmé asked, even though she already knew the answer.  
  
"He's got a bad case of food poisoning. Not to worry, though. He'll be out of there in no time," he said confidently.  
  
"Jodi, before you go, can you tell me a little more about earth?" Padmé asked.  
  
"Sure!" Jodi said. She rambled on about Earth's one moon, which was rare. Most planets had at least three moons.  
  
When she was done, Padmé turned to Anakin and said, "I've never stayed in the Jedi Temple before, nor has Sabé. I'm afraid we'll get lost on our way back to our room. Do you think, since your classes are cancelled, that you'd be able to show us Anakin?"  
  
"Sure can," he told them. Jodi sat in amazement as her mind jumped from one conclusion to another. 'Does she really need help, or is she trying to get somewhere with him? Did she just invite him to her room, or was that just my imagination? He better be careful. He may be the Chosen One, but the council will never go along with that!'  
  
"See ya later, Jodi!" Padmé said as she, Anakin, and Sabé stood up.  
  
"Bye!" Jodi replied.  
  
The trio left the cafeteria. Out in the hallway, Anakin bursted into laughter. "Why didn't you tell them about us?" he asked.  
  
"I wasn't sure if I was allowed to," Padmé said. She laughed as well, and Sabé joined in, too. "When Megaira said something about landing on Tatooine, I thought for sure she'd figure out that I already knew you!"  
  
"She's not the brightest person in the world when it comes to common sense like that," Anakin said. Padmé punched his arm playfully.  
  
"That's not very nice!" she said between laughs. "Looks like those three have major crushes on you!" Padmé said with a smile. "Isn't he so cute?" she said, imitating Arsinoe's voice, which made them laugh all the harder.  
  
"Did you see the way they were practically drooling over you when you came into the cafeteria?" Sabé asked, and the three laughed again.  
  
"You were jealous in the beginning there, I could feel it." Padmé gave Anakin a funny look. "You kind of also gave it away when you said 'I got to get over this jealousy thing.' Good thing I was reading your thoughts, huh? Otherwise I might've said something about us being married."  
  
"That's all we'd need. Three talkative girls knowing about our little secret. Dou you know how fast it would get around?" Anakin looked at her and realized that Padmé didn't want everyone to know about the marriage right now. "So, I'm going to take it that you know those three?"  
  
"Yep, since I was eleven. The four of us were in class together. Arsinoe is very intelligent for her age. When she was six, she was in classes with nine, ten, and eleven year olds, and Jodi was one of the four eight year olds in the class. Did she tell you all about Earth?"  
  
"Yes! It sounds like a wonderful planet! It seems a lot like Naboo." Padmé told him.  
  
"In appearance, yes. There is a lot of crime and hatred and war on that planet though. That's why there aren't a lot of Jedi that come from Earth. We're feared there. They kill us if we go to their planet and are discovered, although, not all of them are like that. The funniest thing is, is that only humans live on Earth. Well, that's not entirely true. There are a few "alien" species living there. They are scientists, usually of the Shi I'd race, the shape shifters. They disguise themselves as humans while studying the planet and it's people. They've been studying Earth for years, and none of the earthlings know it."  
  
"Wow! A planet made-up of all one species! Amazing! You don't find that often!" Sabé exclaimed. The trio reached Sabé's room, and Anakin and Padmé bid her farewell after agreeing to meet for dinner at seven o'clock. A few minutes later, the couple arrived at their room, and Padmé pulled out a tiny card, which she swiped along a scanner mounted to the outside of her door. The door swooshed open.  
  
"It was nice meeting you Anakin. I'm sure I'll bump into again sometime." Anakin looked confused, and Padmé waved to someone beyond him. He spun around and saw Megaira walking slowly past them, watching them the whole time.  
  
Anakin turned back to Padmé, whose hand was held out. He shook it. Right before this, Padmé had secretly slipped her key card into her hand, so Anakin could take it and let himself back into the room. Anakin took the card into his own hand now and Padmé entered the room, leaving him in the hallway. He stood back as the door closed.  
  
He turned around to see if Megaira was still there. As he'd predicted, she was. "Hey Meg, where ya headed to?"  
  
She stood with her back to him, looking out a window across the hall from Anakin's room. She had been pretending not to be listening to Padmé and Anakin's conversation. "Back to class," she responded. "I just had to use the bathroom."  
  
"Well, if it's on the way to the infirmary, I'd be glad to walk you there," he lied to her. 'The only person I'd be glad to walk to class would be Padmé,' he thought.  
  
"Okay," Megaira said in a feeble voice. Luckily for Anakin, Megaira's class was only a few minutes away from his room. He hugged the girl goodbye and quickly walked around a corner.  
  
He waited there, listening for the door to click closed. When it did, he began to round the corner again, but stopped suddenly. 'What if she suspects something is going on between me and Padmé? What if she's watching for me to walk back to our room?' he thought. He decided to chance it and continued toward the door. Sure enough, Megaira was watching for him. 'He's probably going back to that Padmé girl's room,' Anakin heard her think. 'She just prances right in here, and tries to take him away from me!' Anakin could feel the anger and jealousy building up inside her. Anakin acted fast, dropping the key card that was in his pocket onto the floor. He acted like he was searching for something, and he bent over. When he stood up, he held up his hand to show Megaira his card. //Found it!// he said inside her head. He smiled at her, and walked back around the corner. "Great," he said aloud. "She's watching for me." Anakin thought of the other ways to get back to his room and his wife. The shortest way, besides the way he had come from, would take close to thirty minutes. He'd have to walk all the way around the long, continuous corridor. He was about to go that way, when a new idea crossed his mind. He rounded the corner once again, but this time stopped right before the door. He laid down on the ground and began to inch himself across the doorway.  
  
"Anakin? What are you doing?" Anakin had been so intent on crossing the doorway that he hadn't heard the footsteps approaching. He looked up to his puzzled Master's face.  
  
"Shhh!" Anakin said, and he continued to inch across the floor. He reached the other side and said in almost a whisper, "Good to see you Master. I'm going to take it your feeling better?"  
  
"Yes, I am," Obi-Wan whispered back. "Why are we whispering? And why were you lying on the floor?"  
  
"Well, Padmé met a few of my friends at lunch today." Anakin told him the entire story of Padmé not wanting to tell everyone about their marriage, and how Megaira was watching for him and so on.  
  
Obi-Wan poked his head out just a bit and looked into the classroom. "She's still watching," he reported. The two turned around and walked the other way, Obi-Wan heading towards his room, and Anakin towards Padmé.  
  
Anakin swiped the card along the scanner and entered the room. "I'm back!" he announced. "So, did you find out Sabé's 'mystery man'?"  
  
"No! I completely forgot! Aww! I really wanted to know too!" With all the commotion at lunch, she forgot the main purpose of even going to get lunch in the first place. "I'm going to her room to ask her right now!"  
  
"Ok, then. I may go visit Obi-Wan, he just headed off to his room to pack his things for the mission."  
  
"Oh so he's out of the infirmary? That's good!" Padmé said. Worry returned to her, as she thought about poor little Ryoo and Pooja.  
  
"They're fine. Now go see Sabé."  
  
"Alright," she said, and gave him a quick kiss before leaving. Padmé walked quickly down the hall to her friend's room. She knocked softly on the door. No answer. She knocked again, this time much louder than the first time. Still now answer. She turned around and rushed back down the hallway. She wasn't watching where she was going, and practically flattened Anakin. "Sorry Sweetie," she said, and then burst out, "Sabé won't answer her door!"  
  
"Maybe she's sleeping," Anakin suggested. Padmé considered the thought for a moment.  
  
"She might be, but can we still check? Please?"  
  
"Do you have her card?"  
  
"No, but can't you use one of you Jedi tricks to open the door?" He gave her one of his looks that said 'You know I can't, but if you beg me, I might.' "Just this once, Ani?"  
  
"I guess so, but only because your so worried about Sabé." They walked towards Sabé's room. At the door, Anakin wiggled his fingers and the door clicked unlocked.  
  
Padmé entered the room cautiously with Anakin right behind her. They both tried to make as little noise as possible. If there was an intruder in the room, they didn't want it to know they were there.  
  
"See, I told you so," Anakin whispered upon entering Sabé's bedroom. Padmé looked relieved, and Anakin turned and walked away. Padmé stayed only a few moments longer, and then she ran to catch up with Anakin. They headed down to Obi-Wan's room. He greeted them at the door.  
  
"The doctor told me to get some exercise, so I walked down here," he told them. "He also told me that I was being released today." He turned to Padmé and said, "I'm leaving tomorrow to find your nieces."  
  
Padmé hadn't had much time to think about them in the past day or so, with the exception of right before the visit to Sabé's room, and a worried look crept over her beautiful face. "I hope that you can find them quickly."  
  
"I will, Senator, I will."  
  
A/N~So how's that for a LONG chapter? I'm pretty sure that's the longest chapter I've ever written. On my laptop in Microsoft Word, it's eight pages long. I love this chapter, and the whole Earth-dissing part, that was meant for laughs, not to hurt anyone's feelings. I'm not accusing anyone of being a bad person, it's just the character's POV. Hope you liked that chapter, please review! G2G now, cuz its 11:04pm, and I hafta go to school tomorrow (bleh!) ~Jessika~ 


	16. Chapter 16

**_Authoress Note~_** Sorry for taking so long to update this story!  I'm not going to give you my reasons, as I'm sure you don't want to hear them! I would like to thank these people:

_Ketch_~for her recent email which made me realize how long it had been since I posted a chapter and made me type chapter 16 and 17

_Vera-Sabe_~ for her review over the summer, which got me to start writing chapter 18

_Obiwanfan_~ for her review over the summer which got me to write chapters 16 and 17 and for adding my story to her favorites

_Handmaiden Aniriel~ _for her review telling me that she really liked my story and I needed to update it and for adding me to her favorites list

Thanks to all of you who have read this, reviewed this, and waited patiently for these next chapters.  I love you all! Thanks to all of you who put this on your favorites! You are the greatest!!!

There are many different POV's in this chapter.  It is constantly flip-flopping from one person to the next… but I hafta say this is one of my favorite chapters, especially the parts involving Megaira, Arsinoe, Jodi, and Andé!!!  Have fun reading!!  Don't forget to review! I want to know your thoughts, ideas, questions and comments!!!

CHAPTER 16 

"Ryoo! Pooja! NO!!!"

"Padmé! Padmé! Wake up!" Anakin shook her violently.  Padmé jumped up suddenly into a sitting position.  "Pad, its ok, it was just a dream."  Padmé panted, trying to catch her breath.

"A dream? Oh God, Anakin! It was a nightmare!"  Padmé exclaimed in tears.  Anakin pulled her close and hugged her.  "They were torturing them, Anakin!"

"It's ok, Padmé, it's going to be okay," Anakin reassured her while brushing loose curls that had fallen in her face.  Anakin looked out the window.  All he saw was darkness.  He knew it was either very late or very early.  "Go back to sleep, my love," he whispered in her ear.  They lay back down, with Anakin's arms wrapped around Padmé, who quickly fell asleep again.  "I love you," Anakin whispered before he fell asleep.

*********

Wake up, sleepy head."  Padmé's eyes fluttered open.  "Hurry, or Obi-Wan will leave before we get a chance to say goodbye!"  The sun was streaming through the window onto Padmé's face.  Anakin stared at her as if she were an angel.  _My angel,_ he thought.  "I'm going to get some breakfast for us from the cafeteria.  I'll bring it back here."

"Ok, I'll miss you," Padmé told him sleepily.

"I'll miss you, too.  Be back soon."  Anakin turned and walked out the door, making sure to lock it behind him.

*********

Megaira was walking quickly down the hallway.  She wanted to get her breakfast before the cafeteria became a mob scene.  She stopped suddenly when a familiar figure appeared from inside a doorway. _Anakin,_ she thought. _I knew he'd end up back in her room!  That backstabber! Pretending to be our friends and then taking Anakin away from us!  Wait until I tell Arsinoe, Jodi, and And_é_ about this! _She hid quickly behind a statue of an Iego moon angel, so that Anakin would not see her.  When he was out of sight, she continued to the cafeteria.

*********

Padmé lay still, waiting for Anakin to return.  She'd had a series of nightmares last night, mostly about Ryoo and Pooja.  The smell of Anakin on her covers relaxed and comforted her as she lay their a little longer.  Finally, she pulled herself out of bed and went to the closet to get dressed.

*********

Megaira grabbed her breakfast and sulked over to her normal table.

"Hey Meg!" came a cheery voice.

"Hi," Megaira replied grumpily.  "Do you always have to be so perky Arsinoe?" Megaira hissed at the younger girl.

"Well, Sor-ry! Someone obviously got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!"

"Hmmph.  Well, you'd be angry too, if you'd seen what I just saw."  Jodi and Andé joined them at the table.

"Hi guys!  What's going on?"  Jodi asked.  She looked at Megaira and said, "Uh-oh.  Meg's doing her 'I'm-in-a-bad-mood-' slouch again."  Megaira immediately straightened up.  "What's wrong?"

"Well, I was _about_ to tell you three, but then I was rudely interrupted!"  Jodi made a hissing noise, which Megaira tried to ignore.  "I saw Anakin this morning."

"Yeah, so?  Isn't that a good thing?"  Jodi asked her impatiently.

"I'M NOT FINISHED!" Megaira screeched.  She looked up to see most of the Jedi Padawans in the cafeteria staring at her.  She lowered her voice to a whisper. "He was leaving Padmé's room," she finished.  She spoke normally again.  "Ugh, that girl just waltzes in here, and takes him away from us!  I'll bet she was just pretending to be our friend to get to him.  Megaira's jealousy had obviously rubbed off on Arsinoe and Jodi, because they started making silly assumptions and freaking out over the matter.

"Will you three PLEASE shut up!" the usually quiet Andé yelled.  The three others turned and stared at her.  "You don't own Anakin, he can make his own decisions.  AND you can't force him to love you!"

"But he does!  At least he used to before Padmé showed up," Megaira told Andé, who gave her a doubtful look.  "Have you seen the way he flirts with me?"

"Have you seen the way he flirts with all the girls?"  Andé asked, challenging Megaira's assumptions.  "Well, the way he used to flirt with all the girls…he changed last year.  I haven't seen him flirt with anyone for the past year or so, with the exception of Padmé once."

"Ugh," Megaira said as she waved her arms in the air.  She looked up and said, "Speak of the Sith! Look who decided to show up for breakfast!" The four girls looked towards the check out line, where Anakin was standing.  He paid for his food and started walking in their direction.  "When he sits down, don't say anything, don't even acknowledge he's here," Megaira instructed.

"You're acting childish," Andé told her.

"Here he comes," Megaira said.  But to her surprise, Anakin only smiled and walked right past them and went out the cafeteria doors.  "I wonder where he's going?" Megaira asked bitterly.

*********

Anakin fumbled for his card key to open the door, but he couldn't find it.  The door slid open and Anakin jumped back at the unexpected movement.  _Padmé must have heard me and opened it from the inside,_ he decided.

"I missed you while you were gone," Padmé said playfully.

"I missed you too," Anakin replied, and he kissed her pink lips.  He handed Padmé her breakfast.  "It's nothing like the food you'd get at your mother's house, but at leasts its food," he said, staring at the oatmeal and toast he had brought for them.

"We'd better hurry.  Obi-Wan leaves in 40 minutes," Padmé reminded him.  They quickly ate their breakfast and got ready to leave.  Padmé had a worried look in her eyes.

"He'll find them, Padmé," he said.  "Obi-Wan can do it, I trust him.  He'll find them quickly," Anakin told her as he wiped the tears off her face.  "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," she said, trying to smile.  "We should go," she added, looking at the clock.  "We can clean later." Padmé went to the bathroom to wash her tear-stained face.  When she was done, they hurried off to the landing platform.

*********

Obi-Wan looked at his watch.  He had to leave in ten minutes and there was still no sign of his Padawan.  He hopped into his ship and turned on the homing device.  Within seconds, a blinking light appeared on the screen.

"Leaving without saying goodbye to your most favorite apprentice?"  Obi-Wan jumped slightly, startled by the sudden voice.

"You are the only Padawan I've ever had Anakin," Obi-Wan reminded him.

"Which is why I'm your favorite of course."  Padmé laughed, but quickly returned to her worried state.

Obi-Wan noticed this and added, "I've found the tracking device which Anakin had attached to the kidnapper's ship.  They are on the planet Jezmandia."

"Where's that?" Padmé question.  She assumed it wasn't part of the republic since she hadn't recognized its name.  It's way out past the outer rim.  About twenty parsecs from Geonosis," Obi-Wan told her.  The three knew very well where Geonosis was located, as they had all been there last year.

"Ow! Padmé, loosen up!"  Anakin yelped as he tried to shake his hand free of Padmé's grasp.  His fingers tingled with numbness and his pinky was a bluish-purple color.  He shook it around, trying to get some feeling back into it.

"Sorry."  Padmé took his hand and tried to rub the numbness away.

"I should get going.  It's going to take me awhile to get there," Obi-Wan told the couple.

"May the Force be with you, Master."

"And with you, Anakin."

"Good luck, Master Kenobi," Padmé said before he hopped back into his three-person ship and took off.

Padmé turned and started to walk away when she realized Anakin wasn't following her.  "Ani? Ani, are you coming?"

"Hmmm, oh, I'll be there in a bit.  You go, and I'll catch up with you," he told her while he stared up into the polluted Coruscant sky.

"Alright, I'll be in our room then."  She ran back over and gave Anakin a quick kiss before leaving.

Anakin stood there for a few more minutes before he whispered, "Please hurry Master," and headed back towards his room to find Padmé.

A/N- I had another really funny part at the end, but after rereading it, it sounded kinda stupid.  Anyway, the phrase "Speak of the Sith" is equivalent to the phrase "Speak of the Devil" Wow.  I used a big word *sounds it out* e-quiv-a-lent. Hmmmm…interesting.  Please review!!!


	17. Chapter 17

**_Authoress Note:_**  Ok, Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story so far. I love you all!  And, now, I give you the next chapter!

CHAPTER 17 

Padmé knocked on Sabé's door.  "Sabé?" she called.  "Are you ready for lunch?"  The door slid open.

"Almost. Come in." Sabé was making her bed.  "Where's Anakin?" she asked when she looked up.

"Oh, he headed to the library.  He and I can't been seen together too much."

"Why are you still trying to hide it?  The council said it was ok, right?"

"Yes, but, I don't know.  I guess I just don't want everyone to know about our marriage."

Sabé rolled her eyes.  "Pad, you can't keep it a secret forever!"

"So who's this guy your in love with?" Padmé said, changing the subject.

"What?"

"The one you talked about in the infirmary.  You said he could never love you.  Who is he?"

"I…I can't tell you, Padmé."

"Why not Sab?  I won't tell, I'm your best friend, remember?"

"I know you won't tell.  It's just so hard having him so close, yet so far away."

"Oh, so you've seen him recently?"

"Yes."

"Come on Sabé! You have to tell me!" Padmé pleaded desperately.

"YOU never told me about you and Anakin!" Sabé said angrily.

"Sabé, that was different.  I couldn't tell you.  I wanted to tell you. I wish I had.  But I couldn't, I wasn't allowed." Padmé said in a soothing voice.

"I know, I'm sorry.  But you'll probably tease me if I do tell you!"

"I would never!"  They both laughed knowing what Padmé said was a lie.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes, and I pinky promise I won't tell anyone." Padmé held out her pinky, reminding both of their childhood tradition. Sabé curled her pinky around Padmé's.

"Alright, it's…no, I can't."

"Yes, you can," Padmé urged.

"I love…well, he's someone in the Jedi Order.  That's all I'll say, because Jedi can't fall in love anyway, so it doesn't really matter who I love."  Tears formed in Sabé's eyes.  "It breaks my heart to think of him."  Padmé hugged her friend.

"It's not Obi-Wan, is it?"  Padmé asked, tired of all these games.  Sabé's tear-stained cheeks blushed, giving Padmé the answer she was looking for.  "It is, isn't it?  Awww! Sabé! That's so cute! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, I didn't want it to be a big…thing.  Besides, Jedi aren't allowed to love."

"They let me and Anakin get married though!" Padmé exclaimed.

"Padmé, that's different.  Anakin's the "Chosen One."  He could do almost anything and get away with it." Padmé looked hurt by her words, though Sabé didn't understand why.

"Sabé, I think you should tell him.  What's the worst that could happen?"

*****

Obi-Wan jumped.  He'd been daydreaming and almost didn't see the asteroid belt ahead of him.  It was small, and he figured he could maneuver his tiny ship through it in ten minutes tops.  He still had awhile before he reached Jezmandia.  He hoped this would be a short mission.  He wanted to get Ryoo and Pooja back to Padmé as quickly as possible. He also had another reason, though he wouldn't admit it, to get back quickly.  His head and heart knew it, but he would never be able to admit it.

Obi-Wan knew the Jedi's rules were changing, but he was stubborn, as usual, and would not accept the changes.  He was stuck on the old ways of the Jedi.  He remembered the Jedi Council members telling him that the times were changing.  "How can this be?" He thought aloud as he rounded the last asteroid and went back into hyperspace.  "How can they suddenly throw away the rules which have stood for so long?"  He pondered this questioned for a few minutes, but came to no conclusion.  He decided to take his mind of it by calculating how much longer it would take him to get to Jezmandia.  "Another four hours," he declared.  "This is going to be a long trip."

**_Authoress Note:_** Yes, I know it's a bit short, but I promise there will be more soon. And besides, I posted 2 chapters at the same time!  That's about three hours of typing for you! The next chapter is already longer than this, and it is barely started.  Expect lots of Obi-Wan in the next chapter...  


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